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COVID-19 vaccines : adverse events following immunisation
Van den Berg, Sylvia; Van Rooyen, Cathy; Wessels, Pieter Frederik; Brauer, Marieke; Green, Robin J.
Patients rely on healthcare providers as their most credible and frequent source of vaccine information. It is therefore crucial that healthcare providers are informed and have evidence-based, objective and clear guidance on vaccine efficacy and specific adverse events following immunisation (AEFI). Reported serious AEFIs are extremely rare for the COVID-19 vaccines. This article discusses the main AEFIs attributed to COVID-19 vaccines, including neurological complications of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and acute transverse myelitis (ATM), thrombosis; cardiac complications, including myocarditis, pericarditis and cardiomyopathy; and allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis, urticaria and skin rashes. The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the risks; however, it is important that healthcare providers are aware of the risks and know how to recognise and manage them.