CALIFORNIA, USA — QUESTION:
Do younger people experience more side effects after the 2nd COVID-19 vaccine dose than older people?
ANSWER:
Yes, younger people will experience more side effects after the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine than people who are older.
SOURCES:
- Dr. Dean Blumberg, Pediatric Infectious Diseases specialist with UC Davis Health
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
PROCESS:
The CDC said you may experience more side effects after the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine than the first.
According to Dr. Dean Blumberg, a specialist in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UC Davis Health, it's because younger people have a stronger immune response to vaccinations. As a result, they have higher antibody levels following immunization, meaning their immune systems are working harder.
“We think it’s because the younger people may have a more robust immune system, a stronger immune response, and that leads to more of the side effects but the immune system gets a bit revved up,” Dr. Blumberg said.
The CDC said that, during clinical trials, participants were asked to complete diaries of their symptoms.
The frequency of side effects was higher in the younger age group of 18 to 55-year-old persons at 83% compared to the older 55 and older age group at 71%.
We can verify that younger people will experience more side effects after the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine than people who are older.
“On average, younger people do have more side effects following immunization. They have more local side effects such as the pain and the swelling, the redness, as well fever, fatigue and headache,” Dr. Blumberg said.
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