Four trial participants who received the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine experienced facial paralysis, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA said the issue should be monitored as the jab becomes more widely available.
It’s unclear what causes the condition and the temporary paralysis usually goes away on its own.
According to the FDA’s analysis, side effects are common but apparently minor, with 84 percent reporting some kind of reaction, such as fatigue or headaches.
Other than that, the vaccine appears to have received good marks, with the FDA finding that even just the first jab of the two-dose vaccine is about 50 percent effective and also reduces the risk of severe Covid-19 symptoms.
On Tuesday, the UK became the first country in the world to begin administering the vaccine to its general population.
