Study on Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Institute of Uttarakhand on Possible Adverse Effects after COVID-19 Vaccination

Abstract

The occurrence of a devastating pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS- CoV-2) infection, which emerged in the year 2019 in Wuhan, China, has come out as a primary concern all over the world. Many measures were adopted to prevent its spread, but the role of vaccines is inevitable. Understanding the importance of vaccines in the current situation, Government of India launched the COVID-19 vaccine drive on Jan 16, 2021. The two widely distributed vaccines in India are Covishield, and Covaxin. Vaccines may produce some untoward effects which are mostly mild and subside on their own. Based on the definition provided by the World Health Organization, an adverse event following immunization refers to any unfavorable medical incident that occurs after receiving a vaccine, and it may or may not be directly caused by the vaccine itself. If not quickly and successfully managed, can subvert trust in immunization and eventually have sensational ramifications for vaccination inclusion and sickness occurrence. Thus, it can be said that vaccine safety is one of the most important aspects to be considered in the utilization of present and future development of any vaccine type. Hence given this pandemic, it is essential to evaluate the safety measures of COVID-19 vaccines. The present study was conducted among 450 healthcare workers in a government medical college in Uttarakhand state, India who took both doses of corona vaccine, for evaluation of possible adverse effects following COVID-19 vaccination. Data was collected retrospectively through a self- prepared questionnaire. The vaccines were found to be safe as the majority of participants that is, 59.8% suffered from minor, 3.78% severe, and 0.00% from serious adverse events following immunization (AEFI). Only individuals between the ages of 15–24 years experienced severe AEFI. The incidence of AEFI was higher among the younger population as compared to the older population. A greater percentage of females reported AEFI in comparison to males. AEFI after the first dose of vaccine were more in comparison to the second dose and both doses. The vaccines are considered safe as none of the case required hospitalization.