Analysis of COVID-19 Vaccine Adverse Drug Reactions Reported Among Sultan Qaboos University Hospital Staff

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to report any suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) experienced by all vaccinated staff and students. Methods: This study conducted during COVID-19 vaccination campaign that took place in a tertiary teaching hospital in Muscat from 29/Aug/2021 to 12/Sep/2021. An online survey was generated, and sent to all staff and students via email and through their mobile phones. An announcement at the hospital website with a link to the survey was made. Data analysis with descriptive statistics was done via STATA software. Results: In this study, 8,421 individuals reported being vaccinated with a total of 11,468 doses administered. A total of 8,014 patients’ doses received the Pfizer-Biotech vaccine while 3,454 patients’ doses received the Oxford-AstraZeneca brand. There were a total of 3,275 (38.8%) responses to the survey distributed. A total of 741 individuals (22.6%) experienced an ADR after taking the vaccine and 67% (n = 498) were females (P<0.001). Majority of the ADRs reported were fever and chills (19.7%) followed by localized pain at the injection site (18.8%). Other ADRs were reported such as hair loss (0.5%) and one patient reported a clot in the right leg. Most responders (27%) considered their ADRs as mild while 25% of the responders considered them as severe. Conclusion: In the study cohort, there were mild symptoms of COVID-19 vaccines, and females had more risk of ADRs compared to males. It is crucial to observe for long term ADRs to the vaccines and a follow-up monitoring should be done to subjects to preclude any unwanted effects.

Keywords: Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2), Oxford-AstraZeneca (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19), COVID-19 vaccines, COVID-19, Adverse Drug Reactions.