Are Side Effects Why Many Pass on COVID Shots?

Fever. Sore arm. Flu-like symptoms. These are the COVID-19 vaccines' side effects, which now also include possible rare blood clots in the brain, and maybe even shingles. But are the side effects worse than getting COVID? For roughly 5 million Americans, they are concerned enough to skip that second dose, according to the CDC. Even as we learn about the possibility of these side effects, others are no longer a concern. Bell's palsy, for example, which was noted during clinical trials and at the FDA meetings as something to watch, has now been determined following an analysis to be no more likely than with other viral vaccines. So which side effects do we need to be on the lookout for, and which ones will pass just as quickly as we felt them? In this episode, Dial Hewlett Jr., MD, medical director for the Westchester County, New York Department of Health and fellow with the Infectious Diseases Society of America, joins us to explain. Dr. Hewlett also previously worked at Pfizer with their global medical product evaluation team.