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. 2022 Feb 18;71(7):249-254.
doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7107e1.

Safety Monitoring of COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Doses Among Adults - United States, September 22, 2021-February 6, 2022

Safety Monitoring of COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Doses Among Adults - United States, September 22, 2021-February 6, 2022

Anne M Hause et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. .

Abstract

During September 22, 2021-February 6, 2022, approximately 82.6 million U.S. residents aged ≥18 years received a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose.* The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized a booster dose of either the same product administered for the primary series (homologous) or a booster dose that differs from the product administered for the primary series (heterologous). These booster authorizations apply to all three COVID-19 vaccines used in the United States (1-3). The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended preferential use of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (mRNA-1273 [Moderna] or BNT162b2 [Pfizer-BioNTech]) for a booster, even for persons who received the Ad26.COV2.S (Janssen [Johnson & Johnson]) COVID-19 vaccine for their single-dose primary series.§ To characterize the safety of COVID-19 vaccine boosters among persons aged ≥18 years during September 22, 2021-February 6, 2022, CDC reviewed adverse events and health impact assessments following receipt of a booster that were reported to v-safe, a voluntary smartphone-based safety surveillance system for adverse events after COVID-19 vaccination, and adverse events reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a passive vaccine safety surveillance system managed by CDC and FDA. Among 721,562 v-safe registrants aged ≥18 years who reported receiving a booster, 88.8% received homologous COVID-19 mRNA vaccination. Among registrants who reported a homologous COVID-19 mRNA booster dose, systemic reactions were less frequent following the booster (58.4% [Pfizer-BioNTech] and 64.4% [Moderna], respectively) than were those following dose 2 (66.7% and 78.4%, respectively). The adjusted odds of reporting a systemic reaction were higher following a Moderna COVID-19 vaccine booster, irrespective of the vaccine received for the primary series. VAERS has received 39,286 reports of adverse events after a COVID-19 mRNA booster vaccination for adults aged ≥18 years, including 36,282 (92.4%) nonserious and 3,004 (7.6%) serious events. Vaccination providers should educate patients that local and systemic reactions are expected following a homologous COVID-19 mRNA vaccine booster; however, these reactions appear less common than those following dose 2 of an mRNA-based vaccine. CDC and FDA will continue to monitor vaccine safety and provide data to guide vaccine recommendations and protect public health.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. Philip G. Blanc reports stock ownership in Community Health Systems, Inc. No other potential conflicts of interest were reported.

Figures

FIGURE
FIGURE
Adverse reactions and health impacts reported by adults aged ≥18 years who received a homologous Moderna (N = 307,998) or Pfizer-BioNTech (N = 332,588) COVID-19 vaccine booster and completed at least one v-safe health check-in survey on days 0–7 after each vaccine dose, by dose — United States, September 22, 2021–February 6, 2022 * Local injection site reactions include itching, pain, redness, and swelling. Systemic reactions include abdominal pain, myalgia, chills, diarrhea, fatigue, fever, headache, joint pain, nausea, rash, and vomiting. Health impacts include inability to perform normal daily activities, inability to work or attend school, and receipt of medical care. The odds of reporting any local injection site or systemic reaction or health impact following dose 2 and booster dose were compared using a multivariable generalized estimating equations model that accounted for the correlation between registrants and adjusted for demographic variables; p<0.01 was considered statistically significant. All dose 2 and booster dose comparisons were statistically significant, except receipt of medical care among homologous Moderna COVID-19 vaccine recipients.

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