What are the side effects of the omicron booster? Here’s what the FDA says
After being approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, health centers and pharmacies in Charlotte are administering COVID-19 booster shots that target the omicron variant.
National chain pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens have opened appointment slots for the updated shots, The Charlotte Observer reported.
The Mecklenburg County Health Department, Atrium Health and StarMed are also accepting appointments to get the boosters.
Pfizer’s new booster is available for people ages 12 and up, and individuals who are at least 18 years old can get Moderna’s shot, according to the FDA.
Before booking an appointment, some may be concerned about the potential side effects of the boosters.
RELATED: No, you can’t get the omicron booster if you’ve never been vaccinated. Here’s why
What are the side effects of the omicron booster?
Both bivalent vaccines target the original strain of SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and Omicron subvariants, including BA.4 and BA.5, according to the FDA.
The most commonly reported side effects during a clinical trial for the boosters, according to the FDA, were:
Pain, redness and swelling at the injection site
fatigue
Headache
Muscle pain
Joint pain
Chills
Swollen lymph nodes in the same arm of the injection
Nausea and vomiting
Fever
How effective is the omicron booster?
To evaluate the effectiveness of Moderna’s updated booster, the FDA analyzed the immune response in 600 adults who previously received the company’s two-dose vaccine and booster dose.
During a clinical trial, “the immune response against BA.1 of the participants who received the bivalent vaccine was better than the immune response of those who had received the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 vaccine,” the FDA stated.
Similar results were documented in a clinical trial for Pfizer’s updated booster, which analyzed the immune response in individuals older than 55, according to the FDA.
RELATED: Pfizer’s omicron booster improves immune response, company says
Charlotte Observer reporter Evan Santiago contributed to this story.
This story was originally published September 15, 2022 at 10:45 AM with the headline "What are the side effects of the omicron booster? Here’s what the FDA says."
