5 Common Side Effects from COVID-19 Booster Shots
According to the latest data available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, just about half of those eligible for COVID-19 vaccine booster doses have received one.
Curiously, that number drops to 33% among those 65 and older.
Reasons given include not wanting to experience side effects that occurred after the first series of vaccines—especially the second dose—from manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna.
Side effects, however, have been generally milder from the boosters than those who experienced them from the initial doses. The CDC does recommend that everyone over the age of 12 get a booster if it’s been more than six months since they received their second shot. F
After taking a look at the data, Centers Health Care has a list of the five most-common side effects from the COVID-19 booster shot.
- Fever
Fever, which isn’t necessarily a sign of illness but just your body’s immune system ramping up and working harder to fight off potential danger. The vaccine tricks the immune system into thinking it’s been infected with COVID, so that’s why a fever is such a common side effect. Fever is the most-reported side effect to the Moderna booster, while it is the second-most reported one from Pfizer’s booster.
- Swollen Lymph Nodes
This is the most-reported side effect for Pfizer, taking place in around 22% of cases. It’s the third most common one in Moderna cases.
- Headache
Around one in every five Moderna booster recipients report having a headache, while that number is slightly higher than one in every 10 for Pfizer.
- Muscle Pain/Pain at Injection Site
This number is at just around 10% of cases for both brands. Experts recommend not tensing your arm when receiving the shot and also moving your arm frequently throughout the day and night until you go to bed.
- Fatigue
Fatigue is being reported in less than 10% of cases in both versions of the booster, but among those who have said they were extremely tired after receiving the booster, it cleared up by the second full day after taking the dose.
