CDC reports serious side effects from COVID-19 vaccination are rare

Serious reactions to the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccinations are rare, but side effects like headache and fatigue are not uncommon, according to data released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Between Dec. 14 and Jan. 13, nearly 14 million people were vaccinated, according to the CDC, and in that time period, the agency received 6,354 reports of adverse events, 90 percent of which were deemed non-serious.

The CDC received 62 reports of patients experiencing anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction, after being vaccinated. That amounts to 4.5 cases per million doses administered, which is similar to the range reported after people get the flu vaccine, according to the CDC. The report found that 113 people died after getting vaccinated, but death certificates, autopsy reports and medical records did not suggest any relationship between vaccination and death, the CDC said.

Separate data showed side effects after being vaccinated are relatively common but not serious. Of 1.6 million people who received vaccinations between Dec. 14 and Jan. 13 and signed up for a voluntary survey, 70 percent reported injection site pain, 33 percent reported fatigue, 29 percent said they had headaches, and 23 percent reported muscle pain. Nearly 12 percent of people said they experienced chills or fever.