TCM management of side-effects of COVID-19 vaccination

ABSTRACT

At the time of writing, the number of patients infected by COVID-19 and resulting deaths are still increasing worldwide, although the effectiveness of the available vaccines bodes well. However, side-effects of these vaccines have been reported, attracting expert and public attention. Although most of these side-effects are minor and transient, some can be more serious and long-term, and need medical intervention. According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory, most of these side-effects are the result of an invasion of external pathogenic wind-cold or toxic heat, exacerbated in some instances by underlying chronic illness or constitutional weakness. All of these factors need to be considered and treatment applied correctly in order to relieve symptoms and prevent long-term side-effects. This article describes the pathomechanism of vaccine side-effects and their treatment with TCM.