Politics
Bizarre new side effect reported after Covid jabs – all the signs to watch for
A BIZARRE new side effect has been reported by people who have received their Covid-19 vaccine.
Health regulators state that all vaccines have side effects and the most common can include pain in the arm where you’ve had the jab, or muscle aches.
Some patients who have received a Covid jab have claimed they have been left with a metal taste after vaccination[/caption]
But some people have claimed that they have been left with a metal taste in their mouth after receiving their jabs.
So far in the UK over 28.9 million people have received a first dose of either the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab or the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine – with over 2.7 million having had a second.
A report by the MHRA (Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) found that flu-like symptoms, tiredness and a headache were the most common side effects experienced by Brits, along with arm pain and fever.
In the US, a host of people have now claimed that they have an intense metallic taste in their mouth that lasts for days after vaccination.
After having the Pfizer vaccine, John Howard, 45, from South Carolina said the sensation came on within minutes of him having the jab.
Speaking to NBC News, Mr Howard said that while the symptom wasn’t “debilitating” he just wanted his coffee to taste normal.
Another patient, Dave Bischel, 52, from California, said he could taste nickel.
But it’s not just the Pfizer jab that has left a bad taste in some people’s mouths.
One man claimed he tasted metal for several house after the Moderna jab.
Paul Wartenberg, 50, from Florida, said the taste went away after he had eaten his dinner.
But what are the most common vaccine side effects and what should you be looking out for?
Sun columnist Dr Zoe Williams said having side effects to a vaccine is actually a good thing.
She said: “It’s natural to worry about side effects, and as with any vaccine there may be some mild ones. Like with the flu jab, there have been reports of some people feeling tired, having a slight headache and sore, aching muscles afterwards.
While you might feel a bit rubbish, it’s normal, lasts only a couple of days and is actually a good sign the jab is working.
It doesn’t mean you are seriously infected, it means your immune system is kicking in and is primed to jump at the first sign of a Covid infection.
MINIMAL SIDE EFFECTS
Scientists at Pfizer said their extensive trials showed the vaccine is “generally well tolerated in all age groups”.
Side effects can be mild and independent data monitoring reported that there were no safety concerns.
The Vaccine Knowledge Group, in partnership with Oxford University says because vaccines work by triggering your immune system to produce a reaction, you can have side effects after you receive the vaccine that feel similar to having a real infection.
They state that the most common side effect associated with the Oxford jab is arm pain, with 67 per cent of patients experiencing this.
This is followed by chills, fever, joint pain, muscle aches, fatigue and headaches.
Covid jabs are safe – what the regulators say about side effects
A safety report published by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency revealed the top symptoms Brits have been suffering with.
They are found flu-like symptoms, tiredness and a headache were the most common along with arm pain and fever.
They revealed most people had “mild and short lasting” side effects in line with “a normal immune response to vaccines – including a sore arm and fatigue”.
The most frequently reported reactions are injection-site tenderness and pain, headaches, fatigue, joint and muscle pain, fever, chills and nausea.
MHRA found around one in ten people will experience side effects after having the jab.
There were also 75 reports of facial paralysis or paresis from people who had both vaccines, the report found.
This is listed as a possible side effect due to a small number of reports in trials, but has not been confirmed as linked to the jabs.
According to the medicines watchdog 143 Brits died shortly after having their Covid jab. But the MHRA say vaccines are “safe” and didn’t play a role in the deaths.
A report from Pfizer says that the worst side effects were fatigue and headaches – but only after the second dose.
Just four per cent of people reported fatigue and two per cent reported a headache.
Similar to jabs such as the flu, some people reported pain in the site the injection was administered.
Speaking to The Sun, Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and Clinical Director of Patientaccess.com said that side effects from the Pfizer vaccine have so far been “mild”.
Most read in Health News
She said that all vaccines cause side effects in some people – but that this is largely because they are designed to boost your immune system.
Dr Sarah said: “When your immune system is learning to fight off an invader, lots of white blood cells rush to where they’re needed and produce natural chemicals.
“That means most vaccines, including the annual flu vaccine, can lead to mild redness, tenderness of swelling around the area you had the injection.
“In the Covid-19 vaccine trials, all the side effects seen so far have been mild and very similar to those seen with other vaccines like the yearly flu vaccine.”
