Reports of suspected adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines in Switzerland – update
Bern, 18.06.2021 - Up to 15 June 2021, Swissmedic evaluated 2,944 reports on suspected adverse drug reactions (ADR) to COVID-19 vaccinations in Switzerland. The majority of the reports involved more than one reaction (a total of 7,738 reactions in the 2,944 reports, equating to an average of 2.6 reactions per report). At 1,901 (64.6 %), most of the reports were classified as not serious, while 1,043 (35.4 %) reports were classified as serious.
Most of the reports were submitted by medical professionals, while a relatively large number (497, or 16.9 %) came directly from those affected, i.e. the patients. The average age of those affected was 62.5 years (range 16–101), with 31.9% aged 75 or over. In the cases classified as serious, the average age was 66.1 years, and for reports temporally linked to a death it was 81.1 years.
The majority of the reports concerned women (68.7%). Men were affected in 28% of cases, and there were a few cases (3.3%) where no gender was specified. 1,201 (40.8 %) reports involve Pfizer/BioNTech’s Comirnaty®, while 1,697 (57.6 %) are associated with Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine. In 46 (1.6 %) cases, the vaccine was not specified.
The reports of adverse reactions received and analysed to date do not alter the positive benefit-risk profile of the COVID-19 vaccines used in Switzerland. This largely confirms their known side effects profile. Known side effects of COVID-19 vaccines are listed in the continually updated medicinal product information texts published on www.swissmedicinfo.ch.
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