Only 0.25% of Israelis who received COVID vaccine had side effects
The rate at which side effects are being reported at is similar to that of other vaccinations routinely administered to the population.
By TZVI JOFFRESheba Medical staff members receive the second round of the COVID-19 vaccine, at the Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, January 10, 2021(photo credit: MIRIAM ALSTER/FLASH90)
As Israel continues to lead the world in vaccinating its population, the Health Ministry has found that very few Israelis are reporting feeling side effects after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Most of the side effects were light and temporary.A Health Ministry monitoring committee found that only 6,575 out of 2,768,200 (0.24%) Israelis who received the first dose of the vaccine reported side effects and that 3,592 out of 1,377,827 (0.26%) Israelis who received the second dose reported side effects.The rate at which side effects are being reported is similar to that of other vaccinations routinely administered to the population.Most of the people who did experience side effects were young or pregnant.With both the first and second dose, the vast majority of side effects reported were either at the site of injection or “general phenomena,” with only about 0.02% of people who received the first dose and 0.01% of people who received the second dose reporting other side effects.Effects reported at the site of injection were mostly pain, with some people reporting redness or difficulty moving and very few people reporting a change in color, enlarged lymph nodes, subcutaneous tissue inflammation, rash, itching and abscesses. Fewer people reported these symptoms with the second dose.“General phenomena” included mostly general weakness and headaches, although some people reported dizziness, feeling faint, muscle pain, fever, joint pain, nausea, stomach pain, chills, throat pain, coughs and runny noses. A larger portion of people reported these symptoms after getting the second dose than with the first.About 287 people who received the first dose and 96 who received the second dose reported neurological effects. Some 165 people who received the first dose and 47 people who received the second dose reported an allergic reaction. Some 36 people who received the first dose and 11 people who received the second dose reported effects which the US FDA recommended should receive special monitoring. Some 24 people who received the first dose and eight people who received the second dose reported “other significant side effects.”The neurological effects reported mostly concerned tingling, but some people reported neurological diagnoses, palsy, herpes, a metallic or bitter taste in the mouth, seizures, a temporary ischemic incident and passing out.The allergic reactions that were reported mostly consisted of unspecified allergic reactions, with some people reporting itchiness, hives, trouble breathing, tingling, rash, fast heart rate, anaphylaxis, angioedema, cold symptoms, swelling of the upper airways and nausea.
Some of the respondents marked more than one answer in terms of which side effects, so some of the numbers represent the same person answering positively on more than one effect.
