Selected Adverse Events Reported after COVID-19

Selected Adverse Events Reported after COVID-19 Vaccination | CDC

Selected Adverse Events Reported after COVID-19 Vaccination

　　　　　　Updated Sept. 12, 2023

　COVID-19 vaccine recommendations have been updated as of October 3, 2023 to add 2023-2024 updated Novavax COVID-19 vaccine. The content on this page will be updated to align with the new recommendations. Learn more.

　At the April 19, 2023 meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, CDC presented data related to further analyses of a preliminary safety signal for persons ages 65 years and older who received the updated (bivalent) Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in one safety monitoring system, the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD). Other safety monitoring systems have not observed similar findings. As time has passed and more safety data have accumulated, the initial finding has decreased, and scientists believe factors other than vaccination might have contributed to the initial finding. The current evidence does not support the existence of a safety issue. FDA and CDC will continue to evaluate data as they are available and update the public as needed.

Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines

　Some people have no side effects. Many people have reported side effects

—such as headache, fatigue, and soreness at the injection site

—that are generally mild to moderate and go away within a few days.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Are the Vaccines Safe?

What You Need to Know

• The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination continue to outweigh any potential risks.
• Severe reactions after COVID-19 vaccination are rare.
• CDC recommends everyone ages 6 months and older get vaccinated to protect against COVID-19 and its potentially severe complications.
• Millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines under the most intense safety monitoring program in U.S. history.
• CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other federal agencies continue to monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.

Anaphylaxis after COVID-19 Vaccination

　Anaphylaxis after COVID-19 vaccination is rare. It has occurred at a rate of 

approximately 5 cases per one million vaccine doses administered. 

Anaphylaxis, a severe type of allergic reaction, can occur after any kind of vaccination. 

If it happens, healthcare providers can effectively and immediately treat the reaction. 

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis.

CDC scientists have conducted detailed reviews of cases of anaphylaxis 

and made the information available to healthcare providers and the public.

Reports of Deaths after COVID-19 Vaccination

　Multiple factors contribute to reports of death after COVID-19 vaccination, 

including heightened public awareness of COVID-19 vaccines, requirements under 

FDA authorization for COVID-19 vaccines that healthcare providers report any death after COVID-19 vaccination to VAERS (even if it is unclear whether the vaccine was the cause),

and reporting requirements in CDC vaccine provider agreements. 

　People receiving COVID-19 vaccines are less likely to die from COVID-19 and its complications and are at no greater risk of death from non-COVID causes, 

than unvaccinated people.

　CDC scientists and partners have performed detailed assessments of deaths 

after COVID-19 vaccination and made the information available to healthcare providers 

and the public.

　A Safety Study Evaluating Non-COVID-19 Mortality Risk Following COVID-19 Vaccination
Synopsis: This study found that rates of death among people who received COVID-19 vaccines were lower than those of people who did not receive COVID-19 vaccines. In the largest study of its kind to date, the authors found no increased risk of death among people who received the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Johnson and Johnson’s Janssen (J&J/Janssen) COVID-19 vaccines.

　COVID-19 Vaccination and Non-COVID-19 Mortality Risk—Seven Integrated Health Care Organizations, United States, December 14, 2020-July 31, 2021
Synopsis: Using data from the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD), this study found that rates of death among people who received COVID-19 vaccines were lower than those of people who did not receive COVID-19 vaccines. The authors determined that there is no increased risk of death among COVID-19 vaccine recipients, reinforcing the safety of COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized for use in the United States.

　Reporting Rates for VAERS Death Reports Following COVID-19 Vaccination, December 14, 2020-November 17, 2021
Synopsis: The authors of this study analyzed VAERS reports of death after COVID-19 vaccination and found that rates of death after vaccination were lower than background rates of death from any cause in the general population. The findings in this study do not suggest an association between COVID-19 vaccination and overall increased rates of death.

　Safety of mRNA vaccines administered during the initial 6 months of the US COVID-19 vaccination programme: an observational study of reports to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System and v-safe
Synopsis: The authors of this study reviewed the initial six months of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine safety data from December 2020 through June 2021 in VAERS and v-safe and found that the most commonly reported side effects of mRNA vaccines were mild and short in duration and that the majority of reported adverse events were not serious. The authors also reviewed death reports submitted to VAERS and found no unusual patterns of death following mRNA vaccination.