(NEXSTAR) — Severe adverse reactions to the three available COVID-19 vaccines are very rare, according to widely available dated reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Infection.
The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System records all reported side effects from the COVID-19 vaccines available in the U.S. (created by Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson).
Just over 205,000 adverse reactions have been reported in response to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, which is a small percentage of the 145 million doses that have been administered, between Dec. 14, 2020 and March 19.
Adverse reactions reported to the system can range from symptoms as severe as anaphylaxis to as minor as yawning — and while the CDC investigates severe adverse reactions, it’s possible some may not have been caused by a COVID vaccine at all.
One of the most-discussed reactions is anaphylaxis, which the CDC says typically occurs within 30 minutes of vaccination and is easily treatable.
The CDC reports that approximately two to five people per million vaccinated in the U.S. experience anaphylaxis after COVID vaccination.
Deaths after vaccination are likewise rare — and may be coincidental as the early vaccine rollout in the U.S. focused on elderly individuals.
VAERS received 2,216 reports of death among people who received a COVID-19 vaccine between December 14, 2020 and March 22. Each case report of death is reviewed by the CDC and FDA.
The most common side effects of the vaccine reported to VAERS include headache, fatigue, fever, dizziness, pain, nausea, muscle aches and injection site pain.
