A wide variety of skin rashes, including full-body rashes, are a known side effect for some people who receive a COVID-19 vaccination, according to the results of a large study. The authors claim the rashes are generally “mild,” and that it may be a sign in some cases that the vaccine is working. They do admit, however, that more severe reactions are also occurring, some of which need oral antihistamines, topical steroids or other treatments.
A study of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines recorded 414 skin reactions, including 218 cases of large, delayed reactions near the injection site — dubbed “COVID vaccine arm” — as well as other types of rashes that include “rashes at the injection spot, hives and full-body rashes similar to those typically seen after viral infections.”
“Any reactions that start immediately after vaccination, or within four hours of the shot, need to be taken very seriously, and patients experiencing these rare type of allergic symptoms should seek prompt medical attention,” said senior study author and board-certified dermatologist Dr. Esther Freeman. She noted that people tolerated vaccination well even when they did develop skin side effects, which “should offer greater reassurance for anyone who is hesitant to get vaccinated.”
SOURCE: Newswise April 7, 2021