Women were 5.3 times more likely than men to develop a skin rash, part of what is commonly called “Moderna arm,” after getting the COVID-19 vaccine produced by the U.S. pharmaceutical giant, a large-scale study in Japan by the Self-Defense Forces Central Hospital has found.
The swelling, pain and/or itchiness of the arm that received the vaccine, also called “COVID arm” in the U.S. and other countries, was also more common among people in their 30s through 60s and less likely to occur in younger people, according to the study, published in JAMA Dermatology on Thursday.
Such skin reactions typically appear around seven days after a Moderna shot and last about four days, but the reason for their emergence is not well understood. While skin reactions do occur with vaccines for other conditions, they are much rarer.
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