CDC Reports on First Month of COVID-19 Vaccinations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided an update in the federal agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) on February 19, 2021, regarding the first month of COVID-19 vaccine safety monitoring in the US from December 14, 2020 through January 13, 2021. The report covers the two COVID-19 vaccines, developed by Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna that have received Emergency Use Authorization for administration in the US.

The report states, “Monitoring, conducted as part of the U.S. vaccination program, indicates reassuring safety profiles for COVID-19 vaccines. Local and systemic reactions were common; rare reports of anaphylaxis were received. No unusual or unexpected reporting patterns were detected.”

Regarding implications for public health practice, the CDC asserts that health care providers and vaccine recipients alike can be confident about the safety of the Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. The report advises counseling vaccine recipients on the anticipated transient local and systemic reactions to ease apprehension and promote completion of the 2-dose vaccination series.

Read the full article in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

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