The U.S. has now approved Covid-19 vaccine booster shots for all adults. Many are now wondering what side effects to expect after your third shot (or second shot if you were originally vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson). And thanks to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) we now have some idea.
VAERS is run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and allows people to self-report side effects of vaccines. As Insider points out, a COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Dose Safety published by the CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force on November 19, 2021 shows that already 11,904 people have reported side effects from Pfizer, Moderna, or Janssen booster to VAERS. These were the most-reported side effects (in order):
- Headache
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Pain
- Chills
During the timeframe of the 11,904 side effect reports to VAERS over 26 million booster doses were given, so this list of side effects could change as time goes on and more Americans get the booster. It also should be noted that at the 11,904 people reporting, 46% of them were 65 years of age or older and 67% of them were female, so it’s possible the most-reported side effects could change with time as reports come in from more males and those in younger age groups.
Still, as Insider notes, most people have reported that the side effects they experienced after their booster shot were less severe than the side effects they experienced after their second dose of the original vaccine.