Thread by @DrEricDing

Folks—we have to prepare people: ‘This is what you need to expect. Take Tylenol and suck it up for a day.’

“REACTOGENICITY” is initial fatigue/headache one can get from a vaccine that lasts a few hours. But we need to prep people it’s totally normal. 🧵

science.sciencemag.org/content/370/65…

2) “The independent board that conducted the interim analysis of Moderna's huge trial found that severe side effects included fatigue in 9.7% of participants, muscle pain in 8.9%, joint pain in 5.2%, and headache in 4.5%.”

PLACEBO ALSO INCLUDED.

3) “In the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine trial, the numbers were lower: Severe side effects included fatigue (3.8%) and headache (2%).”

But remember PLACEBO group also had some too.

4) “Both Moderna's & Pfizer/BioNTech's vaccines require two doses. Reactogenicity is typically higher after a second dose. The side effects “mean the vaccine is working well. …means you had such a good immune response to the first dose and now you are seeing the effects of that”

5) “transient reactions should not dissuade people from getting vaccinated in the face of a pandemic virus that kills at least one in 200 infected, says @florian_krammer. Sore arms, fevers, and fatigue are “unpleasant but not dangerous,” he says. I'm not concerned about at all.”