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
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
