Direct-to-consumer DNA testing company 23andMe used information from 100,000 23andMe participants to determine that Moderna’s second shot causes the most reactions in the vaccine’s recipients.
Younger people and women also tended to have more severe reactions, the company reported on its blog. For the study, participants answered three questions:
- What was their most recent COVID-19 vaccination
- What symptoms, if any, did they experience
- How sick did they feel afterward
Of the respondents, 44% said they’d had Pfizer’s jab and 38% had Moderna’s. About half said they’d had no reaction at all, while 40% felt a little or somewhat sick and 10% felt extremely sick. Other key findings included:
- Moderna’s second dose had the most people reporting symptoms (85%)
- Moderna also had the most people feeling sick or extremely sick (18%)
- Among Pfizer recipients, 75% reported symptoms after the second shot
- 9% of Pfizer recipients reported feeling very or extremely sick
Even more interesting, having a previous COVID infection and then getting the vaccine increased the odds of an adverse reaction or feeling sick or very sick by 30%.
SOURCE: 23andMe Blog August 26, 2021