Covid France: Should I report minor side-effects after jab?

Reader question: I read that some people were suffering from slight side-effects such as flu-like symptoms after getting vaccinated against Covid-19. If that happens to me, do I need to report it and if so, how?

There have been reported side-effects in patients vaccinated against Covid-19 in France. These were analysed by the French medicines safety agency, which published a report on it at the end of February. Read more here.

Side-effects are very rare and almost always very mild.

French medical experts have said that this can be a sign that the vaccine is working.

The French Health Ministry has set up a system for patients to report any adverse effects they experience after the jab. It is not necessary to report side-effects if they are minor.

The Ministry states:

“As with all vaccines, there may be some side-effects after the vaccination: Pain where the injection was made, fatigue, headaches, muscle or joint pain, some chills and a slight fever.

“These symptoms disappear quickly.”

The ministry states that all vaccines approved for use in France, those of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca, have gone through rigorous testing by European and French health authorities and have been found to be both efficient and safe.

“As part of the national vaccination campaign against Covid-19, the Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament has set up a specific system for reinforced monitoring of the adverse effects of Covid-19 vaccines on French territory,” the Health Ministry states.

Through this, you can report any adverse reactions online at signalement.social-sante.gouv.fr (in French). It should only take about ten minutes.

Similarly, you can report side-effects to your doctor.

Read more:

France Covid-19 vaccine campaign calendar