Most Common Reactions Reported After COVID-19 Vaccination

Have you developed any mysterious health issues since getting the COVID-19 vaccine? Here’s a list of the most common reactions that have been reported to the U.S. government’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). A total of 1.3 million adverse events have been submitted between December 14, 2020 and July 12, 2022. These reports are for all three COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna and J&J) combined. See our VAERS Fact Sheet for more information on how it is used to monitor vaccine safety.

Most Common Reactions Reported:

  • Headache – 205,823 reports
  • Fatigue – 175,591
  • Pyrexia (fever) – 170,488
  • Chills – 125,891
  • Pain – 122,058
  • Nausea – 113,501
  • Dizziness – 111,776
  • Myalgia (muscle aches) – 80,913
  • Dyspnoea (labored breathing) – 80,040
  • Arthralgia (joint stiffness) – 75,445
  • Asthenia (physical weakness) – 53,238
  • Skin rash – 51,349

Moderate to Severe Reactions Reported:

  • Strokes and Blood Clots
    • Thrombosis, All Types (blood clots block veins or arteries) – 23,774
    • Pulmonary embolism (blood clot in lungs) – 12,150
    • Cerebrovascular accident (blood clot in brain) – 8,113
    • Cerebral infarction (stroke) – 4,360
    • Aphasia (brain damage affecting language use) – 3,373
    • Thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) – 3,365
    • Dysarthria (brain damage affecting speech) – 3,205
    • Transient ischaemic attack (mini stroke) – 2,497

  • Hemorrhages
    • Hemorrhage, All Types – 21,153
    • Postmenopausal hemorrhage – 3,638
    • Vaginal hemorrhage – 3,568
    • Cerebral hemorrhage – 1,781
    • Eye hemorrhage – 941
    • Rectal hemorrhage – 778
    • Gastrointestinal hemorrhage – 592
  • Heart Conditions
    • Myocarditis (inflammation of heart muscle) – 15,120 reports
    • Pericarditis (inflammation of the sac around the heart) – 9,961
    • Atrial fibrillation (irregular heart beat) – 7,061
    • Myocardial infarction (heart attack) – 4,521
    • Cardiac arrest (heart stops beating) – 2,966
    • Cardiac failure (congestive heart failure) – 2,575
    • Acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) – 2,311

  • Anaphylaxis and Allergies
    • Urticaria, All Types (hives) – 33,422
    • Anaphylactic reaction (life-threatening allergic reaction)  – 8,302
    • Asthma – 3,789
    • Eczema – 1,641
    • Anaphylactic shock – 1,363
    • Allergy to vaccine – 734

  • Other Neurological Conditions
    • Seizure – 9,936
    • Bell’s palsy – 6,533
    • Neuropathy peripheral – 3,103
    • Facial paralysis – 2,100
    • Sudden hearing loss – 1,430

  • Psychiatric Conditions
    • Anxiety – 12,513
    • Confusional state – 9,824
    • Depression – 2,637
    • Mental status changes – 1,694
    • Cognitive disorder – 1,649
    • Suicidal ideation – 737
    • Dementia – 544

  • Autoimmunity
    • Rheumatoid arthritis – 2,378
    • Guillain-Barre syndrome – 1,865
    • Polymyalgia rheumatica – 1,360
    • Psoriasis – 1,268
    • Herpes zoster (shingles) – 1,198
    • Fibromyalgia – 891
    • Colitis ulcerative – 872
    • Multiple sclerosis – 875
    • Multiple sclerosis relapse – 630
    • Systemic lupus erythematosus – 574

  • Cancer
    • Malignant neoplasm (tumor) – 338
    • Lymphoma – 261
    • Breast cancer – 248

  • Menstrual Irregularities and Pregnancy
    • Heavy menstrual bleeding – 13,463
    • Menstruation irregular – 7,755
    • Menstrual disorder – 6,619
    • Postmenopausal haemorrhage – 3,638
    • Vaginal haemorrhage – 3,568
    • Intermenstrual bleeding – 3,558
    • Spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) – 3,295
    • Birth defect – 1,120
    • Stillbirth – 136

Death

  • There were 29,273 deaths reported

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References:

VAERS Search: COVID-19 vaccines and All Symptom Reports

VAERS Search: COVID-19 vaccines and Death Reports

VAERS Search: COVID-19 vaccines and All Reports with Thrombosis

VAERS Search: COVID-19 vaccines and All Reports with Hemorrhage

VAERS Search: COVID-19 vaccines and All Reports with Urticaria

Observations From a Doctor: Adverse Reactions to COVID Vaccines I Came Across During Their First Year on the Market

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