Fever, sore arms and other side effects of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine have been reported at a markedly higher rate for the second dose than the first, according to interim survey results presented on Friday by an advisory panel of experts with the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.
"We found no cause for serious concern regarding the vaccine's safety," the group said.
A total of 822,869 vaccine doses had been administered to frontline medical professionals in Japan by Friday. Nearly 20,000 of these frontline recipients participated in the health ministry's study, which examined a total of 19,035 people who had been given their first dose and 3,933 who had also received their second dose.
After the second round of shots, 36% of survey participants reported a fever higher than 37.5 C and 67% complained of fatigue. The same symptoms were reported after the first dose at rates of 3% and 23% apiece. Upper arm pain at the site of injection occurred in more than 90% of both doses. Although the symptoms were found to abate within a few days, one member of the advisory panel said some patients who experience side effects may need to take painkillers or rest at home the day following inoculation.
Anaphylaxis, an immediate and severe allergic reaction, was observed in the survey at a rate equivalent to roughly 8 per 100,000 shots. As of March 21, medical institutions in Japan had reported a total of 181 incidences of anaphylaxis out of 578,835 shots. Of these 181 cases, 47 were classified as severe anaphylactic reactions per international standards.
Meanwhile, the board also noted the death of a 26-year-old woman who was administered the vaccine on March 19, apparently as the result of a cerebral hemorrhage. The woman did not have any known preexisting conditions and the panel said that it was impossible to draw conclusions yet on any possible connection between the vaccine and her death, which was only the second such fatality following inoculation reported in Japan.
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