Safety of an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine among healthcare workers in China

Abstract

Background Although the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (CoronaVac) has undergone preclinical tests and clinical trials evaluating its efficacy and safety before being approved for authorization, few data have been reported in the post-licensure real-world setting. We aimed to assess the safety of the vaccine among healthcare workers. Methods A self-administered online survey on monitoring adverse reactions post vaccination was conducted among the staff who worked at and were vaccinated in a tertiary hospital in Taizhou, China, from February 24 to March 7, 2021. A total of 1526 subjects responded to the questionnaire when they received an email or an e-poster on WeChat. Results The incidences of overall adverse reactions after the first and second injections were 15.6% (238/1526) and 14.6% (204/1397), respectively. The most common adverse reaction was localized pain at the injection site, with an incidence of 9.6% and 10.7% after each dose, accounting for 61.8% and 73.0% of adverse reactions, respectively. Fatigue, muscle pain, and headache were the most common systemic adverse reactions. Conclusions These findings implied that the inactivated CoronaVac vaccine has an acceptable safety profile among healthcare workers due to the low incidence of self-reported adverse reactions. This may boost public confidence in nationwide mass vaccination campaigns.