And Neither Are the Side Effects for Moderna’s Vaccine
When it comes to the Moderna vaccine—which was authorized for emergency use on Friday and has been shown to be about 94% effective—the side effects appear to affect slightly more people. More than 90% of volunteers experienced injection site pain, close to 70% experienced fatigue, and about 60% had headaches or migraines. The overall rate of serious adverse effects was low. Nonetheless, the FDA said that the Moderna vaccine should not be given people who have had severe allergic reactions to any components of the shot, per Reuters.
Many experts have said that vaccine side effects are often a necessary evil, as they’re an indication that the body’s immune system is working as is intended. Moderna and Pfizer’s vaccines are the only ones that will reach Americans this year, although there are several other candidates in development that could be approved or authorized for emergency use in the near future.
