CDC: Safety monitoring of COVID-19 vaccine booster dose

Editor's Note

This study by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that adverse reactions after the third dose of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine were similar to those after the second dose.

Of 12,591 participants who completed a survey after all three doses:

• 79.4% and 74.1% reported local or systemic reactions, respectively, after the third dose.
• 77.6% and 76.5% reported local or systemic reactions, respectively, after the second dose.

Adverse reactions included mild to moderate injection site pain, fatigue, and headache.

The researchers found no unexpected patterns of adverse reactions after the COVID-19 booster dose and will continue to monitor vaccine safety, including the safety of additional doses.