Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • NEWS EXPLAINER

COVID vaccines and safety: what the research says

It is clear that coronavirus vaccines are safe and effective, but as more are rolled out, researchers are learning about the extent and nature of side effects.
  1. Ariana Remmel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed  Google Scholar

As people around the world receive COVID-19 vaccines, reports of temporary side effects such as headaches and fevers are rolling in. Much of this was expected — clinical-trial data for the vaccines authorized so far suggested as much. But now that millions of people are vaccinated, compared with the thousands enrolled in early studies, reports of some rare, allergic reactions are surfacing, and questions are arising about whether any deaths are linked to the shots.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Get just this article for as long as you need it

$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Nature 590, 538-540 (2021)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-00290-x

With reporting from Smriti Mallapaty and Amy Maxmen.

References

  1. Logunov, D. Y. et al. Lancet https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00234-8 (2021).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. McNeil, M. M. et al. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 2, T37–T52 (2016).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Yang, Q. et al. Anal. Chem. 88, 11804–11812 (2016).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Subjects

Latest on:

Nature Careers

Jobs

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing

Search

Advanced search

Quick links