The benefits of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine far outweigh the risks that have been identified, according to an updated analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Each of the vaccines authorized for use in the United States has been associated with rare but serious side effects. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been linked to a rare form of blood clots known as thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome and to a rare autoimmune neurological disorder called Guillain-Barré syndrome. The two mRNA vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna, have been associated with myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart.
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The CDC has continued to monitor the vaccines for these side effects, and its new study confirms that the risks of side effects are small.
“Based on a comprehensive review of existing data, in the context of ongoing transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in the United States as of July 2021 … the benefits of vaccinating all recommended age groups with either the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine or mRNA COVID-19 vaccine outweigh the risks for vaccination,” the authors of the study wrote.
The study found that the group most at risk of blood clots was women ages 30 to 49. For every 1 million vaccinated women ages 30 to 49, eight to 10 would experience blood clots. However, the vaccine would prevent over 10,000 cases of COVID-19, 900 hospitalizations, and 20 deaths.
Guillain-Barré syndrome was the biggest risk for men ages 50 to 64, with 14-17 cases of the disease among every 1 million vaccinated. But a group of that number would avoid over 10,000 cases, 1,800 hospitalizations, and 140 deaths via vaccination. Most patients recover from Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Finally, contracting myocarditis from the vaccine presented the biggest risk for men ages 18 to 29, with 22-27 cases for every 1 million vaccinated. The vaccinations prevented 9,600 cases, 300 hospitalizations, and three deaths. There have been no confirmed deaths associated with the cases of myocarditis.
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Concern over side effects is the leading reason some people refuse to get a vaccine. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 21% of respondents listed side effects as the reason they remained unvaccinated.
