Abstract
Recent reports of thrombosis following AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in young females (<55 years-old) led to temporary suspension and urgent investigation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) that concluded that vaccine benefits still outweigh its side effects (SEs). Therefore, this study aims to provide early independent evidence on the vaccine SEs’ prevalence and their potential risk factors; a cross-sectional survey-based study was carried out between February and March 2021 in Germany and Czech Republic among healthcare workers who recently received the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The study used a validated self-administered questionnaire composed of twenty-eight multiple-choice items covering demographic variables, medical anamneses, and local, systemic, oral, and skin related SEs of the vaccine. Out of the ninety-two included participants, 77.2% were females and 79.3% were from Germany. Their mean age was 35.37 ± 12.62 (19–64) years-old, 15.2% had chronic illnesses and 22.8% were receiving medical treatments. Overall, 94.6% of the participants reported at least one SE. The most common local SE was injection site pain (72.8%), and the most common systemic SEs were fatigue (73.9%), muscle pain (55.4%), chills (48.9%), feeling unwell (46.7%), nausea (45.7%), and headache (29.3%). The vast majority (91.9%) resolved within 1–3 days, and the below 35 years-old group was the least affected age group. The SEs’ frequency was insignificantly higher in females and previously infected participants; the vaccine safety for the elderly was supported by the early findings of this study. Chronic illnesses and medical treatments were not associated with an increased risk of SE incidence and frequency. No blood disorder SEs were reported in our sample. Further independent studies are highly required to evaluate the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine and to explore whether gender or previous infection could be associated with the vaccine SEs.
Highlights
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, researchers have been working tirelessly to find a solution to prevent the virus spread
The majority (45.7%) of participants had 1–5 years of working experience, and 27% had more than 20 years of experience
In Germany, the majority (68.5%) of participants were from Schleswig-Holstein state, while in Czech Republic, the majority (63.2%) were from Vysočina region (Table 1)
Summary
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, researchers have been working tirelessly to find a solution to prevent the virus spread. Developing an effective vaccine was the most eminent priority for such a public health disaster [1]. COVID-19 vaccine (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine/AZD1222) is one of the developed viral vector vaccines with an efficacy of 70.4% [2]. It is produced from an adenovirus that normally infects chimpanzees. The adenovirus contains the gene for the synthesis of the complete spike protein of a coronavirus. The spike proteins synthesized in the vaccinated person’s body trigger an immune response against infection with SARS-CoV-2 [3,4]. Unlike the mRNA vaccines, adenovirus vector vaccines do not require ultra-low storage temperature and, could be feasiblly distributed and delivered [5]
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