Out of tens of thousands of people who received the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine before 11 January, just 81 reported side effects, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) has said this evening.
Chief Executive of HPRA Dr Lorraine Nolan reassured people today that they were generally consistent with the known and anticipated side effects which emerged during the trials.
While the vast majority had no side effects, 81 people reported side effects such as abdominal pain, nausea, fatigue, joint pain and pains in the arms, some experience of dizziness and headache.
Dr Lorraine Nolan said that they were events of a ‘mild to moderate nature which resolved or were resolving at the time of reporting’.
By 13 January, over 77,000 people in the state had been given the first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
“While the relatively mild effects described are of course uncomfortable for those who experience them, they do pass quickly and generally do not require any medical treatment,” said Dr Nolan.
“Safety monitoring of all medicines, including vaccines, is central to the remit of the HPRA and we intend to publish a regular update of the number and nature of reports regarding suspected side effects with COVID-19 vaccines, as the vaccination roll-out continues.”
