Advertisement Most Australians are reporting side effects such as a sore arm, fatigue and headaches from the first dose of AstraZeneca and the second dose of Pfizer, but experts say this is normal and could be a sign the vaccines are doing their job. AusVaxSafety, a collaboration led by the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, reports weekly on adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccinations. The side effects are self-reported in a survey sent three days after the jab, with hundreds of thousands of responses so far. Sholto Macpherson, 45, from Maroubra, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, had his second Pfizer vaccination last week and experienced typical side effects. He had no reaction to the first jab and experienced minor fatigue and headaches after the second dose.