Covid vaccine side-effects: what to know and why you shouldn't worry

Side-effects have been reported for all three vaccines approved for emergency use in the US but most are mild and short-lived

As more people become eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine many are asking what side-effects they should expect, and if there are differences between the side-effects of the vaccines. The short answer to both questions is yes - the details are below - though any discomfort pales in comparison with contracting Covid-19.

We used clinical trial data gathered by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to explore the kinds of side-effects most commonly associated with the three vaccines currently authorized for emergency use in the US. Those vaccines were developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, Moderna and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (Niaid) and most recently by Johnson & Johnson.