Symptoms and Side Effects of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AZD1222) among healthcare workers

Abstract

Aim: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel coronavirus which has infected millions of people across the globe in the form of a deadly pandemic. Safe and efficacious vaccines are needed urgently to prevent disease in the healthy population or at least decrease the intensity of illness post vaccination. Aim: To assess the post vaccination side effects among groups of individuals so that an effective vaccine can be proposed according to the individuals and thus avoiding reactogenicity, both systemic and local. Methods: A prospective study was conducted with the help of a web-based questionnaire (among health care workers) which used snowball sampling strategy and assigned persons aged ≥25-65 years, who received an intramuscular injection of the vaccine manufactured by Oxford-AstraZeneca. Safety and side effects were observed over a period of 15-20 days post vaccination to obtain results. Results: A total of 564 participants took part in the survey who received the vaccine via intramuscular route. Both systemic and local reactogenicity were recorded. Of the respondents, 280 (49.6%) people reported fever, 322 (57.18%) had pain, 89 (15.77%) had swelling and 53 (9.3%) had redness at the injection site. Total of 368 (65.2%) individuals suffered from body aches of whom 324 (57.4%) also reported headaches. Conclusion: Assessing the post vaccination symptoms, side effects and complications of AstraZeneca among different individuals helped in providing crucial and important information regarding the efficacy, safety and nature of the vaccine. Keywords: Covid-19, pandemic, vaccines, reactogenicity