Reports of suspected adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines in Switzerland – update 21
Bern, 14.01.2022 - Up to 12 January 2022, Swissmedic evaluated 11,467 reports on suspected adverse drug reactions to COVID-19 vaccinations that occured with a temporal link to the vaccinations. At 7,190 (62.7 %), most of the reports were classified as not serious, while 4,276 (37.3 %) reports were classified as serious.
About half of the reports were submitted by medical professionals, while 5,797 or 50.5 % came directly from those affected, i.e. the patients.
The average age of those affected was 52 years, with 12.9% aged 75 or over. In the cases classified as serious, the average age was 54.3 years, and for reports temporally linked to a death it was 79.6 years.
In 192 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. 7,789 (68 %) reports involve Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine Spikevax® (for approx. 63% of the vaccine doses administered – this is the most widely used COVID-19 vaccine in Switzerland), while 3,354 (29.3 %) are associated with Pfizer/BioNTech’s Comirnaty® (approx. 36% 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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