Coronavirus: EU looking into new possible side-effects of mRNA COVID-19 shots

European drug regulators are looking into new reports of possible side effects seen in a small number of people who have been given the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, according to a story from Reuters.

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Reports of the conditions — a skin ailment, and two kidney disorders — prompted the European Medicines Agency to request further information from Moderna and Pfizer and its partner BioNTech.

It is not known how many cases of erythema multiforme, a form of allergic skin reaction; glomerulonephritis or kidney inflammation; and nephrotic syndrome, a renal disorder that causes heavy urinary protein losses, have been reported.

Erythema multiforme causes round skin lesions while the kidney disorders can cause fatigue, bloody or foamy urine, and edema — or the swelling of the eyelids, limbs or the abdomen.

More than 330 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine have been administered in Europe, compared to more than 43 million doses of the Moderna shot.

Last month, the EMA found a possible link between rare cases of heart inflammation and the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines.

Despite the possible side effects of the mRNA vaccines, the EMA stressed that they believe the benefits of the vaccines far outweigh the risks.

The EMA is an agency of the European Union (EU) responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision and safety monitoring of medicines in the EU. The organization said it would not recommend changes to the labeling of the vaccines yet.

According to the organization, the EMA has seven scientific committees that evaluate medicines along their lifecycle from early stages of development, through marketing authorization to safety monitoring once they are on the market.

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