Why are women more likely to report unwanted side effects after being vaccinated for COVID-19? [WE EXPLAIN]

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Data from the CDC show that women who have received the coronavirus vaccine are much more likely to experience side effects and are more severe than men. Similar proportions are also visible in Poland. However, scientists reassure that this is a gender-specific response. Do the ladies have cause for concern?

1. 79 percent The side effects of the vaccine that have been reported in the US affected women, reports the CDC
2. The same effect is also noticeable in Poland, where out of 4803 adverse reactions, 4211 occurred in women
3. Among Polish women, mild reactions – redness and short-term pain at the injection site prevail
4. Why do adverse reactions mostly affect women? The following may be of importance here, among others female hormones – experts argue
5. Do you want to live longer? Make a simple test and find out how! 
6. You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page

What are the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines for women?

US doctors Shelly and Scott Blomgren described their reactions to the Moderna vaccine. Soon after taking the second dose, it became apparent how different they were. While the husband was feeling fine, Shelly was “dying.”

– I’m tough. I can take pain, but it was terrible, says Dr. Shelly Blomgren.

For almost two days, she struggled with “the worst pains she had ever had” accompanied by chills, fever and general exhaustion.

What she experienced is nothing special. A Trusted Source report published by the CDC found that after the first 13,8 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine given to Americans, women were more likely to report side effects. They accounted for 79 percent of reported side effects, although only 61 percent of vaccines were given to them.

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Another CDC report on rare anaphylactic reactions indicates that all 19 people who developed anaphylaxis after receiving Moderna were women. In contrast, 44 of the 47 people who experienced anaphylaxis after receiving the Pfizer vaccine were ladies.

The Polish Ministry of Health also keeps a register of adverse vaccine reactions. The latest data comes from March 16 this year. From the first day of vaccination (27.12.2020/XNUMX/XNUMX), reported to the State Sanitary Inspectorate 4891 adverse vaccine reactions4206 of which were mild, i.e. redness and short-term soreness at the injection site. However, looking at the 475 pages of the report, it is immediately apparent that it includes mostly women. As of March 15: out of 4803 adverse reactions, 4211 appeared in women. March 16 – out of two thousand applications, only slightly more than 250 concern men.

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What reactions to the vaccine are dominant in Polish women?

Apart from the mild ones, chills, general weakness, fever, headache, muscle aches and breakdown are often recurring symptoms. Women with these symptoms do not require hospitalization, but there are also more worrying effects of vaccination. In the report you can read about: fainting, vomiting, asthmatic reactions, febrile seizures, erythema multiforme, rubella-like rash, blisters all over the body, skin ecchymosis, then swelling of the limbs and face. Such patients go to hospital, where allergic symptoms disappear after steroid therapy. It should be emphasized that almost all the rare anaphylactic reactions concerned women. Fainting with unconsciousness, chest pain at rest, stroke and death have also been reported.

Each gender reacts differently to vaccination

– The gender difference is consistent with previous reports on other vaccines – says prof. Sabra Klein, immunologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. – Side effects differ between men and women with many different vaccines due to the hormones, genes and doses of the preparation.

Earlier research by the CDC shows that, for example, four times as many women had allergic reactions to the 2009 flu vaccine. And in the years 1990-2016, women reported 80 percent. anaphylactic reactions to vaccines. Overall, women are more likely to respond to influenza and hepatitis B preparations, as well as to the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

Where do these gender differences come from?

There are several reasons. Women tend to have a stronger immune system, which makes more antibodies in response to the vaccine. It may be related to the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen, especially in premenopausal women, can cause immune cells to produce more antibodies, while the male hormone testosterone can inhibit this process.

“Estrogen stimulates the body to produce more T cells, responsible for the cellular immune response, which protect us after introducing the vaccine,” he adds. Dr. Larry Schlesinger, president of the Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio. – That’s why we see a faster and stronger reaction in women.

Let us add that the genes related to immunity are on the X chromosome, women have two of these chromosomes and men have one. Scientists believe this partly explains why more women suffer from autoimmune diseases.

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– Women show higher immunity to the vaccine antigen and to the virus – says prof. Klein.

Vaccine doses are also important. Men and women absorb drugs differently. Ladies often need lower doses to get the same response.

These reactions show that the COVID-19 vaccine is working, says Prof. Klein.

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