From the beginning of the vaccination campaign to today, 70.9% of the vaccine doses administered in Italy are Comirnaty, i.e. the vaccine based on mRNA technology, developed by Pzifer-BioNTech.
The data is reported in Fourth Covid-19 Vaccine Surveillance Report, published on 10 May by the Italian Medicines Agency and concerning the reports of suspected adverse reactions registered in the National Pharmacovigilance Network, in the period between 27 December 2020 and 26 April 2021, for the four vaccines in use in the current campaign.
According to the document, on a total of 18,148,394 doses administered, I’m 56,110 reports received, of which the 91% refer to non-serious events, which resolve completely, and which mainly include injection site pain, fever, asthenia / fatigue, muscle aches, mostly on or next day of vaccination.
The most reports, which would in any case be down compared to the previous ratio, probably – as we read in the text – due to a sort of plateau effect generated by a greater knowledge of the vaccines in use, are related to Comirnaty (75%), which is however the most used in the vaccination campaign with just 70.9% of the doses administered.
Which ones are they therefore the main ones side effects of the Pfizer vaccine and what does the drug contain?
Here is what there is to know
Pfizer vaccine: what it contains
As clarified by the information sheet on the website of theItalian Medicines Agency, COVID-19 mRNA BNT162b2 (or Comirnaty) vaccine is made with molecules of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) that contain the instructions for the cells of a vaccinated individual to synthesize the Spike proteins, which are the surface proteins through which the virus infects people.
“The vaccine – reads the sheet – it does not introduce the virus into the cells of the vaccinator real, but only genetic information which is needed by the cell to build copies of the Spike protein. Should the vaccinated person come into contact with SARS-CoV-2 again at a later time, their immune system will recognize the virus and be ready to fight it..”
Not using active viruses, but only a genetic component that brings information into the organism of those who are vaccinated to produce specific antibodies, the vaccine cannot therefore cause COVID-19 disease.
In addition to messenger RNA, Comirnaty vaccine contains other excipients, listed in the package leaflet made available, last April 24th, again from Aifa and specifically: 1,2-Distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, Cholesterol, Potassium chloride, Potassium dihydrogen phosphate, Sodium chloride, Disodium phosphate dihydrate, Sucrose and water for injections.
Pfizer vaccine: side effects
In the same leaflet are reported i main side effects, encountered during the experimentation phase e post authorization, or when it began to be administered.
The adverse reactions observed more frequently, and therefore very common, (concerning more than 1 in 10 people) were pain and swelling at the injection site, tiredness, headache, diarrhea, pain in muscles and joints, chills and fever, the latter found with a higher incidence after the second dose.
Among the side effects common, or occurring in less than 1 in 10 people, are also found instead redness at the injection site and nausea.
Non common, or found less than one in 100 people, are instead side effects like itching at the injection site, pain in the limbs, enlarged lymph nodes, feeling sick and hypersensitivity reactions, such as rash and hives.
Considered instead a rare side effect, the facial paralysis, which has occurred in less than 1 in 1000 people.
To confirm the main side effects found in the trial phase, it is the same Vaccine Surveillance Report, which states that “most suspected adverse events following vaccination with Comirnaty relate to organ system class of general disorders and administration site conditions (75%), mainly fever, injection site pain, tiredness / asthenia and general malaise ( not serious in 94% of cases), followed by pathologies of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (41%), especially myalgia, arthralgia and musculoskeletal pain (not serious in 95% of cases) “.
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