Reports of suspected adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines in Switzerland – update
Bern, 05.11.2021 - Up to 3 November 2021, Swissmedic evaluated 9,834 reports on suspected adverse drug reactions to COVID-19 vaccinations that occured wit a temporal link to the vaccinations. At 6,438 (65.5 %), most of the reports were classified as not serious, while 3,396 (34.5 %) reports were classified as serious.
About half of the reports were submitted by medical professionals, while 4,909 or 49,9% came directly from those affected, i.e. the patients.
The average age of those affected was 52.6 years, with 13.6% aged 75 or over. In the cases classified as serious, the average age was 55.4 years, and for reports temporally linked to a death it was 79.8 years.
In 155 serious cases, the people concerned died at differing intervals after receiving the vaccine. Despite a chronological correlation, there is no concrete evidence to suggest that the vaccination was the cause of death.
The majority of the reports concerned women and there were a few cases where no gender was specified. 6,777 (68.9%) reports involve Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine Spikevax® (for approx. 66% of the vaccine doses administered – this is the most widely used COVID-19 vaccine in Switzerland), while 2,835 (28.8%) are associated with Pfizer/BioNTech’s Comirnaty® (approx. 34% administered vaccine doses). 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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