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A participant in Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine trials reveals its side effects

WION Web Team
New Delhi, IndiaEdited By: Bharat SharmaUpdated: Nov 18, 2020, 07:35 PM IST
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Representative image Photograph:(Reuters)

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Participants in Moderna’s trials have revealed the side effects caused by the vaccine. Most commonly reported side effects include fever, arm pain, and fatigue

On Monday, American company Moderna Inc announced a milestone in the development of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine. According to the company, the vaccine is 94.5 per cent effective. Today, Pfizer also announced that its vaccine is 95 per cent effective.

Participants in Moderna’s trials have revealed the side effects caused by the vaccine. Most commonly reported side effects include fever, arm pain, and fatigue.

One of the volunteers who received the Moderna jab spoke about his experience on “Fox and Friends”. The college student from the University of North Carolina, the participant shed light on the what happens to one after taking the vaccine.

The participant, Jack Morningstar received the initial dose of Modern’s vaccine. A month later, he received another job. He experienced side effects such as fatigue and some fever.

He also spoke about the misinformation being spread about the vaccines. 

“As a tech-savvy person, I’ve become aware of a lot of the misinformation that’s being spread online about some of these vaccines and its process, and I’d just like to emphasise that I don’t think now’s the time to be fear mongering about vaccines,” he said during the interview with Fox and Friends.

While indirectly referring to people who believe conspiracy theories surrounding vaccines, including ones that claim vaccines cause autism (which have been disproven), he said that arm pain is a small price to pay when compared to the death count.

“I don’t think we should be fearful about a low-grade fever and little bit of arm pain. That’s nothing. But what we should be fearful of is a death tally of 240,000 that’s currently spiking at a terrifying rate, at that”, he said.

Morningstar also claimed that he was able to deal with the side-effects by simply taking an ibuprofen. He also had some pain at the injection site, which is normal.

Moderna claims that the vaccine will remain stable at standard refrigerator temperature of 2-8 degree Celsius (36-48 degree F) for 30 days. Additionally, the vaccine may be stored for upto 6 months at -20 degrees Celsius.

Moderna’s data is based on analysis of 95 infections among participants in the trial. They received either a placebo or the vaccine.

Out of these, only five infections occurred among people who were inoculated, who were given the vaccine in two shots 28 days apart.

Additionally, Moderna’s trials witnessed the participation of 30,000 people. And it was able to prevent severe cases of COVID-19, something Pfizer is yet to ascertain with its own vaccine.

Out of the 95 cases during Moderna’s trials, only 11 were severe. All of them occurred among patients who got the placebo. Moderna is part of the US government’s Operation Warp Speed programme, which intends to fast track vaccines for COVID-19, and its earliest deployment.

Just this year, the company intends to produce 20 million doses for the US. Out of these, millions have already been produced. Moderna is ready to ship these vaccines as soon as it received FDA authorisation.