A recent study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology compared the constitutional and dermatologic postimmunization side effects of COVID-19 vaccines to hepatitis B virus (HBV) and seasonal influenza (Flu) vaccines, on the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) – a national, self-reported surveillance database.

For this study, HBV and Flu (seasonal flu recombinant and inactivated) vaccines were chosen because they are well-established non-live vaccines that have been used in the general population for decades. 

The results showed that reported constitutional side effects were higher for the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines compared to HBV and Flu vaccines. While a comparison on the basis of percent of cases depicted a higher majority of constitutional and dermatologic adverse effects for Moderna. Additionally, compared to Pfizer/BioNTech and HBV, Moderna showed a much higher percentage of injection site responses – pain, erythema, edema and warmth. Whereas, injection site responses were lower after the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccination. 

Meanwhile, younger patients (16-55 and 18-65 years olds, respectively) suffered more frequent and severe side effects with both, the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines––probably as they harbor a stronger immune system and a higher degree of reactogenicity. 

However, the current analysis is limited by the VAERS database′s incomplete capture and reporting which is self-reported and voluntary. The findings suggest that both COVID-19 vaccines—Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna—have a good safety profile and have demonstrable efficacy

However, both COVID-19 vaccines have favorable safety profiles and proven efficacy. 

Source:  Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2021.09.044.