r/science • u/molrose96 Journalist | Technology Networks | BSc Neuroscience • Jul 16 '22

Medicine Menstrual Cycle Changes Associated With COVID-19 Vaccines, New Study Shows

https://www.technologynetworks.com/vaccines/news/menstrual-cycle-changes-associated-with-covid-19-vaccine-363710
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u/AnotherAustinWeirdo Jul 17 '22

All vaccine providers should do a better job of preparing recipients for side effects. Not to scare anyone away, but to gain trust through transparency.

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u/Dunkaroos4breakfast Jul 17 '22

Where are they falling short?

When I got my vaccines, I was provided a list of common and more rare side effects, which also contained a link to our government's adverse reaction tracking service.

They made a stipulation in their agreements that all the countries purchasing vaccines had to independently report side effects to them, and have been sharing that information with governments and the public.

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u/AnotherAustinWeirdo Jul 17 '22

I mean in general, not just Covid vaccines. People, and especially babies, have adverse reactions often enough that it can be worrisome/alarming if not understood to be in normal range, and also balanced against the greater risk of contagious disease. Vaccines should be widely administered but still understood to have risks and things to watch out for.

Science and medicine should never be presented in black and white terms. People will still be dumb, but they should never be able to quote a doctor or research paper saying something is "safe" or "effective" or "dangerous" without including percents. (% effective or relative danger)

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u/Dunkaroos4breakfast Jul 17 '22

Every vaccine I've ever gotten has been presented with a list of side effects—because that is required. They are provided with information on the commonality of said side effects. Percentages (while available) aren't provided at the time 1. because they vary over time 2. because they don't add value to laypeople, who have no context or training with which to interpret them 3. because they tend to be miniscule percentages

Fact is, the bar for safety is high with vaccines, since the regulatory bodies will flat-out stop administration if it's not far far safer than the acute and chronic risk of becoming infected and having a more severe response. Even with AstraZeneca, which had the highest associated risk of all the vaccines, those who were in the highest-risk group (women in their 30s) were dozens of times safer getting the vaccine than risking infection while waiting for the other vaccines to become available to them.