Why do women and young people have more side effects from the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine? Explains the UCSF doctor

SAN FRANCISCO – For 24 hours, these were the side effects Irma Duran suffered after her second shot from Pfizer.

“I had the shot at 10:30 in the morning and then at midnight that’s when I woke up. I had a high fever and my bones … It looked like sandpaper to me. As if someone was polishing my bones.” , said Duran.

An expert from the University of California at San Francisco says these side effects after the second shot of COVID-19 are normal because the immune response to the second shot is stronger.

“It’s the peak protein that mRNA fools into the cells that produce the introduction. That’s what’s being detected. That’s what we want it to do. That’s all good,” said George Rutherford, professor of the UCSF, and Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

In this CDC report, data show that of the 13.7 million Americans vaccinated during the months of December and January 2021, side effects were higher among women.

“78.7% were reported for adverse events in women. Headache (22.4%), fatigue (16.5%) and dizziness (16.5%) were the most common symptoms after vaccination. with either vaccine. Sixty-two reports of anaphylaxis have been confirmed, 46 (74.2%) after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 16 (25.8%) after receiving the Modern vaccine. “

Luz Pena: “Why do women and young adults have more reactions to the second shot of the Modern or Pfizer vaccine?”

Dr. Rutherford: “Women should have stronger immune responses because they have to protect pregnancies. They have to live to have babies. So it probably has to do with sex hormones. I can’t tell you the exact biochemical mechanism, but yes perfect sense when you think about it in this broader context, “he added,” We also know that the immune system ages and accumulates problems as it ages, but I’m not at all surprised that reactions are more common in younger people. that old people. “

Now let’s be clear that these side effects are mild and usually last for two to three days. They are headaches, body aches and fever in some cases.

Should people worry if they have no side effects in any of the vaccines?

“No. There’s nothing wrong. They just have a better regulated immune system that can transmit them without causing a lot of unnecessary symptoms. If you don’t feel them, there’s no reason why you’re looking for antibody testing,” the doctor said. Rutherford.

San Francisco resident Alejandro Galicia, 34, felt the side effects of Moderna’s first shot. He was hospitalized a year ago with COVID-19 and was given a 50% chance of survival. It puts the discomfort of the body after its first shot in perspective.

“Mentally, you have a fever again and it’s a bit psychological, but then you tell yourself that it doesn’t compare to COVID,” Galicia Diaz said.

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