The vaccines administered in Switzerland are safe and effective. As is the case with all medications, vaccines can cause side effects. They are usually mild and of short duration.
Common side effects include:
- Reaction at the injection site such as pain, redness and swelling
- Headache, fatigue
- Muscle and joint pain
- General symptoms such as shivering, feeling feverish or temperature
Cases of nettle rash have been reported after a booster vaccination.
In very rare cases, severe side effects may occur, such as an allergic reaction. Such a reaction usually occurs immediately after the vaccination and is easy to treat. In individuals with a history of severe allergic reactions, appropriate precautionary measures must be observed in the event of a vaccination.
In very rare cases, inflammation of the heart muscle or the pericardium has been observed shortly after vaccination (usually within 14 days). The majority of these cases were mild and could be treated effectively. Typical symptoms of heart muscle inflammation are chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue and palpitations. Consult your doctor immediately if you experience such symptoms. The risk of inflammation of the heart muscle or the pericardium is actually greater after infection with the coronavirus than it is following an mRNA vaccination. If you have experienced inflammation of the heart muscle or the pericardium after vaccination, you should discuss with your doctor how best to proceed.
In very rare cases, severe side effects have been experienced following vaccination with the Janssen viral vector vaccine since this was approved. These have included rare forms of thrombosis combined with a low blood platelet count (thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, or TTS). These cases have been serious, but have occurred in only a very small number of instances (one to eight in every million vaccinations) within the first three weeks after a vaccination with the Janssen viral vector vaccine. You will find further information on these and other very rare serious side effects on the www.swissmedicinfo.ch website.
The safety and the efficacy of vaccines are constantly monitored, both within Switzerland and worldwide.
In Switzerland, any severe side effects must be reported to the authorities. The Swissmedic reporting office assesses any reports and, if concerning patterns emerge (e.g. an increase in specific reports), initiates an investigation into a possible correlation with the vaccine.
Further information on reports of suspected adverse reactions to the authorised vaccines can be found on the Swissmedic website.