A study published Wednesday in the journal Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics analyzing 4,341 individuals who received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in a clinic in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam has found that systemic side effects were common among vaccine recipients.
Nearly half (44.2%) of all individuals experienced whole-body side effects such as fever, fatigue, and muscle aches.
Although the side effects were common, the study found that serious complications were rare, with only 1% of individuals reporting concerning symptoms of rare severe complications.
Versions of the vaccines taken included ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, BBIBP-CorV, and mRNA-1273.
Those who were under the age of 60, women, and those who received the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine were found to be more likely to experience both local and systemic side effects.
A local side effect is a side effect that occurs at or near the site where the vaccine was injected. In contrast, systemic side effects are side effects that affect the whole body.
Additionally, a history of allergy was found to be a significant risk factor for local side effects.
A Jan 2021 study in The Lancet found that among ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 recipients, “there were many serious adverse events reported in the study in view of the size and health status of the population included.”
Read the full study here:
