Period prevalence of COVID-19 vaccines side effects in Erbil city

Abstract

Background: Many vaccines have emerged as humanity's greatest chance to combat COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: The objectives were to find out the period prevalence of COVID-19 vaccines side effects in Erbil city and to identify the potential risk factors for the side effects.

Methods: A total of 644 persons who received either Pfizer, Astra Zeneca or Sinopharm vaccines have been enrolled. The researchers included all people visiting Rizgary teaching hospital in Erbil city for vaccination purposes for one-year duration, from the beginning of October 2021 to the beginning of October 2022. The data collected by calling the participants and asking about the occurrence of the side effects.

Results: Among the total number participants, half (50.8%) took Pfizer vaccine, 29.3% took Astra Zeneca vaccine, and 19.9% took Sinopharm vaccine. Around half of vaccinated people (50.6%) developed side effects after first dose, more than one third (33.7%) of participants had fever, 45.7% had pain at site of injection, 7.3% experienced redness at site of injection. The rate of side effects after the second dose was 38.7%. More than one third (33.9%) of them had pain at site of injection, 23.4% of participants had fever, and 5.1% of them experienced redness at site of injection.

Conclusion: A considerable proportion of the vaccinated individuals developed side effects, but these were, in general, mild. More side effects had been developed after the Pfizer and the AstraZenica vaccines compared with the Sinopharm vaccines.