Nearly 1.5 million Americans are being vaccinated every day against COVID-19. Allergic reactions have led some to question if they should get the vaccine, and scant data from clinical trials for the currently approved vaccines in vulnerable populations means we don’t fully know how those with certain conditions will react.

In an interview on MedPage Today, Dr. Barbara Alexander, M.D., infectious disease specialist at Duke University and current president of the Infectious Diseases Society of American said “I think there is definitely science emerging now; actually, the most recent safety data were reviewed by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. It is true that it seems the second dose is more reactogenic than the first dose. Most symptoms do occur within the first three days after receiving the vaccine and most spontaneously resolve within a couple, three days. The most common side effects seem, to be pain, fatigue, headache, and myalgias or muscle pains”.

Dr Alexander went on to say that “the most important and worrisome allergic reaction that we think about is an immediate allergic reaction or what the scientific term we use is a type one hypersensitivity reaction. And those are usually early-onset, like immediately after receiving the vaccine. The majority of these types of reactions occur within 30 minutes of receiving the vaccine. After 18 million doses of messenger RNA vaccines being administered, we know the frequency of anaphylaxis is around 5 cases per a million doses of the Pfizer vaccine and about 2.8 cases per million doses of Moderna vaccine.

Bottom line, why are you waiting! Get in line, roll up your sleeve, and get vaccinated! You might just save a life! Stay the course, stay well, mask up, get vaccinated, and stay tuned!