Skin reactions to the COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna are rare and unlikely to recur when receiving the second dose, according to a study published June 23 in JAMA Dermatology.
A team of researchers led by allergists at Boston-based Mass General Brigham studied 49,197 of the health system's employees who received mRNA vaccines. Skin reactions were reported by 1.9 percent of these employees after their first dose, with the average age being 41.
Eighty-five percent of those reporting a skin reaction were female, and 15 percent were male. The most common skin reactions were rashes and itching.
Among people who reported skin reactions to their first dose, received their second dose and completed a symptom survey after their second dose, 83 percent did not report a skin reaction after their second dose. Among people who did not experience a skin reaction following their first dose, 2.3 percent reported skin reactions after their second dose.