Four common skin reactions after Pfizer and Moderna vaccinations

Now that vaccinations have opened up to everyone above the age 18, Pfizer and Moderna jabs have been rolling out at greater speed and strength in the country. And as with all vaccinations, people have been suffering from unusual side effects with these two jabs as well—and it’s been particularly messing with their skin.

Common skin reactions

Allergists at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) conducted a study to find out what kind of reactions vaccinated people were getting from the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna jabs and their results were recently published in JAMA Dermatology.

Their study found that there were four types of skin reactions that people experienced after getting these two vaccines. The reactions that were reported the most were rashes and itching in different parts of the body. Other participants said they broke out in hives—which are itchy and elevated areas of skin—following their jab. Lastly, a number of their participants had suffered from swollen tissue under the skin.

Additionally, their findings revealed that women were more likely to have skin reactions than men. 85% of their respondents that confirmed the reactions were women, while only 15% were men. The allergists also said that the probability of the patients having the same side effects after the second dose are very slim.

A rare occurrence

However, they have concluded that getting all of these symptoms are extremely rare, especially given that only 2% of their 49,197 participants experienced a reaction. Moreover, eight out of ten people who did initially have skin problems did not report any further complications.

That being said, those who do have severe skin reactions should definitely seek medical help. Lead author, Lacey B. Robinson—an allergist and researcher at MGH—said:

For those that occur within hours of vaccination, or for severe reactions at any time, patients should see an allergist or immunologist who can evaluate and provide guidance on dose 2 vaccination.