Medical experts this week urged advisors to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that the agency should warn Americans that the side effects from a COVID-19 vaccine won’t be “a walk in the park.”
Dr. Sandra Fryhofer of the American Medical Association said that patients will need to be prepared to endure the potentially-grueling side effects that come with Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines — or they won’t come back for the necessary second dose, CNBC reported.
“We really need to make patients aware that this is not going to be a walk in the park,” Fryhofer said at an online meeting Monday with the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a group of medical experts that advise the CDC.
“They are going to know they had a vaccine. They are probably not going to feel wonderful. But they’ve got to come back for that second dose.”
Patsy Stinchfield, a nurse practitioner at Children’s Minnesota, suggested that public health officials and drugmakers use language such as “response” instead of “adverse reaction” to not deter people from getting the vaccine.
“These are immune responses. And so if you feel something after vaccination, you should expect to feel that,” Stinchfield said, CNBC reported.
“When you do, it’s normal to have some arm soreness or fatigue, some body aches and maybe even a fever. It sounds like in some of these trials, maybe even having to stay home from work.”
Though neither the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines have been authorized, volunteers who have participated in the clinical trials have reported experiencing uncomfortable side effects such as high fever, body aches, headaches and exhaustion.
Pfizer’s vaccine is currently under review by the Food and Drug Administration, while Moderna’s shot is expected to be submitted to the agency shortly to be considered for emergency authorization.
