A leading scientist has explained that women may experience several side effects after getting the Oxford coronavirus vaccine.
Professor Anthony Harnden, deputy chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, said women were more likely to get side effects from the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab, but that they should only last for a few hours and would be eased by taking paracetemol.
People who get the jab are more likely to get side effects after the first dose than the second, he added.
Asked whether people might experience some side effects, he told BBC Breakfast: "Yes, there are. The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine - for the first dose - seems to give quite a lot of minor side effects like: a very sore arm; fever; malaise; headache and sometimes chills which may last for up to 48 hours afterwards.
"They do seem to be more common in women and in younger women.
"With the Pfizer vaccine, which we are given at the moment, it seems to be the reverse - side effects are more likely with the second vaccine.
"The message is once you've had your first Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine - if you do get some side effects which are unpleasant take some paracetamol.
"And don't not have your second vaccine because of the side effects because the second vaccine is likely to be less reactogenic than the first."
Professor Anthony Harnden also said that all over-50s will be vaccinated within the next few weeks.
He told BBC Breakfast: "In primary care, we're still vaccinating cohort six - all with underlying illness - and some of seven.
"But, throughout the country, we're going down to cohort nine.
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"Most people over the age of 50 will be vaccinated really within the next few weeks - so it is tremendously successful.
"Those first nine priority groups included 99% of all hospitalisations and deaths, certainly in wave one of the pandemic, so we're feeling very optimistic.
"We're seeing a very sharp reduction in the deaths and hospitalisations throughout the country."
