Adverse Drug Reactions in ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine among Health Care Workers

Abstract

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome by Coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2) infection and the resulting Corona virus disease 2019 has afflicted millions of people.  The safety profile and effectiveness of the vaccines available are of great concern as vaccination is the main stay of control of the disease, other than the usual Covid appropriate behaviour measures. Objective: To study the incidence and extent of adverse reactions based on age and sex after ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AstraZeneca Oxford Covid Vaccine) in Health care workers Study Design: An online questionnaire through a cloud-based survey software by google forms was sent; and the adverse events experienced were collected 7 days after the first and second doses of the vaccine. Participants: Health Care Workers in an urban multispecialty hospital. Results: Adverse reactions were seen as reported with all vaccines. In our study with the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine, reactogenicity was mild or moderate. The reactions were less common and milder in older adults than in younger adults. Both systemic and local reactogenicity were more common after the first dose than the second. The incidence of adverse events was more in females. No serious adverse event was noted. Short term adverse events were mild in severity and short lived. Those who got the Covid 19 disease after vaccination were very few in spite of being HCWs; and they had only mild disease without any complication. Hence the vaccine is safe and effective and its use should be propagated. Key words: Covid vaccine, Adverse events, Health care workers.