COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance of Pregnant and Lactating Women (PLW) in Czechia: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study
Side Effects of mRNA-Based COVID-19 Vaccine: Nationwide Phase IV Study among Healthcare Workers in Slovakia
Authors: RIAD Abanoub, HOCKOVÁ Barbora, KANTOROVÁ Lucia, SLÁVIK Rastislav, SPURNÁ Lucia, STEBEL Adam, HAVRIĽAK Michal, KLUGAR Miloslav
| Year of publication | 2021 |
|---|---|
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Pharmaceuticals |
| Citation | RIAD, Abanoub, Barbora HOCKOVÁ, Lucia KANTOROVÁ, Rastislav SLÁVIK, Lucia SPURNÁ, Adam STEBEL, Michal HAVRIĽAK and Miloslav KLUGAR. Side Effects of mRNA-Based COVID-19 Vaccine: Nationwide Phase IV Study among Healthcare Workers in Slovakia. Pharmaceuticals. Basel: MDPI, 2021, vol. 14, No 9, p. 1-24. ISSN 1424-8247. doi:10.3390/ph14090873. |
| Web | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/14/9/873 |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ph14090873 |
| Keywords | BNT162b2 vaccine; cross-sectional studies; COVID-19; drug-related side effects and adverse reactions; health personnel; mass vaccination; prevalence |
Abstract
mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines such as BNT162b2 have recently been a target of anti-vaccination campaigns due to their novelty in the healthcare industry; nevertheless, these vaccines have exhibited excellent results in terms of efficacy and safety. As a consequence, they acquired the first approvals from drug regulators and were deployed at a large scale among priority groups, including healthcare workers. This phase IV study was designed as a nationwide cross-sectional survey to evaluate the post-vaccination side effects among healthcare workers in Slovakia. The study used a validated self-administered questionnaire that inquired about participants' demographic information, medical anamneses, COVID-19-related anamnesis, and local, systemic, oral, and skin-related side effects following receiving the BNT162b2 vaccine. A total of 522 participants were included in this study, of whom 77% were females, 55.7% were aged between 31 and 54 years, and 41.6% were from Banska Bystrica. Most of the participants (91.6%) reported at least one side effect. Injection site pain (85.2%) was the most common local side effect, while fatigue (54.2%), headache (34.3%), muscle pain (28.4%), and chills (26.4%) were the most common systemic side effects. The reported side effects were of a mild nature (99.6%) that did not require medical attention and a short duration, as most of them (90.4%) were resolved within three days. Females and young adults were more likely to report post-vaccination side effects; such a finding is also consistent with what was previously reported by other phase IV studies worldwide. The role of chronic illnesses and medical treatments in post-vaccination side effect incidence and intensity requires further robust investigation among large population groups.
For full-text click on the button