Evaluation of Side Effects Post-COVID-19 Vaccination in Healthcare Professionals: Hospital Based Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Aim: Vaccination is the most effective method to prevent, combat and control the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to investigate the COVID-19 vaccination preferences of healthcare workers employed at a training and research hospital providing tertiaty healthcare services and the side effects that developed after vaccination Material and Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted at XXX Hospital from September to December 2022. Healthcare workers employed at the hospital were asked twelve questions about sociodemographic, medical history, COVID-19 vaccinations, and side effects. SPSS 23.0 software was used for the analyses. Results: A total of 405 healthcare workers took part in the study. Most of them were female (58.8%) and around 34 years old. Five people had not received any vaccinations. The CoronaVac vaccine was the most commonly administered in the first dose (82.8%) and the Biontech vaccine in the fourth (91%). The most prevalent local side effect was pain at the injection site (64.3%), while the least prevalent was itching (3.1%). The most prevalent systemic adverse effects were fatigue (24.5%) and muscle pain (23.6%). 86.7% of participants had side effects that disappeared within the first three days. The six participants who reported experiencing side effects lasting longer than one month after receiving the vaccine described these as fatigue, shortness of breath and menstrual irregularities. Women experienced local side effects more often than men (p=0.003). Conclusion: In this study, it was observed that the side effects experienced by participants were similar to general vaccine side effects, mild and self-limiting. The absence of serious systemic side effects, along with current knowledge about COVID-19 vaccines and the results obtained from our study, indicates that the vaccines can be used safely. However, in recent times, when vaccine hesitancy and scepticism have increased, there is a need for studies examining long-term effects and for increased vaccine awareness programs. 

Keywords

• Adverse effect
• COVID-19 infection
• COVID-19 vaccine
• Healthcare worker
• Post-marketing surveillance
• SARS-CoV-2
• Vaccine safety

Supporting Institution

No

Ethical Statement

Ethics Commitee Approval: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Ankara City Hospital between 26 September 2022 and 26 December 2022. The study commenced after receiving approval from the Ethics Committee of Ankara City Hospital, on 7 September 2022, under reference number E1/2877/2022. This study was conducted according to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.

Sağlık Çalışanlarında COVID-19 Aşısı Sonrası Görülen Yan Etkilerin Değerlendirilmesi: Hastane Tabanlı Kesitsel Çalışma

Abstract

Giriş ve Amaç: COVID-19 pandemisinin kontrol altına alınmasında tam olarak etkili bir antiviral tedavi bulunamamış olması aşılamayı ön plana çıkartmıştır. Bu çalışmada, hastanemiz sağlık çalışanlarının COVID-19 aşı tercihleri ve aşı sonrası gelişen yan etkilerin araştırılması amaçlanmıştır. Yöntem: Kesitsel tipte olan bu araştırma Ankara Bilkent Şehir Hastanesinde 26.09.2022-26.12.2022 tarihleri arasında, hastanede görev yapan sağlık çalışanlarına sosyodemogafik, mesleki veriler, sağlık geçmişleri, COVID-19 aşıları ve yan etkileriyle ilgili 12 adet soru yöneltilmiştir. Analizlerde SPSS 23.0 paket programı kullanılmıştır. Bulgular: Çalışmamıza toplamda 405 sağlık çalışanı dahil edilmiştir. Kişilerin %58.8’i (n=238) kadın ve genel yaş ortalaması 33.89±7.99 yıldır. Beş kişinin(%1,2) hiç aşı yaptırmadığı saptandı. 1. doz aşılamada %82,8 (n=331) ile en fazla CoronaVac aşısı uygulanmışken, 4. doz aşılamada ise %91 (n=172) ile en fazla Biontech(Comirnaty) aşısı uygulandığı görüldü. COVID-19 aşılamaları sonrası en sık lokal yan etki aşı yerinde ağrı olup görülme oranı %64,3’tür, en az görülen lokal yan etki ise %3,1 ile aşı yerinde kaşıntıdır. COVID-19 aşılamaları sonrası en sık sistemik yan etkiler yorgunluk(%24,5) ve kas ağrısı(%23,6) olmuştur. İlk 3 günde yan etkileri kaybolan kişiler toplam katılımcıların %86,7 sini oluşturmaktadır. COVID-19 aşıları sonrası 1 aydan uzun yan etki yaşadıklarını beyan eden 6 katılımcıdaki şikayetler yorgunluk, nefes darlığı ve adet düzensizliğidir. Kadınlarda lokal yan etki varlığının erkeklerden daha fazla olduğu görülmüştür(p=0,003). Sonuç: COVID-19 aşıları sonrası yan etkilerin incelendiği bu çalışmada katılımcılarda görülen yan etkilerin genel aşı yan etkilerine benzer, hafif düzeyde ve kısa sürede kendini sınırlayan etkiler olduğu görülmektedir. Ciddi sistemik yan etkilerin olmaması, COVID-19 aşılarıyla ilgili mevcut bilgiler ve çalışmamızdan elde ettiğimiz sonuçlarla aşıların güvenle kullanılabileceği görülmektedir. Ancak, aşı karşıtlığı ve şüphelerinin arttığı son dönemlerde uzun dönem etkilerini inceleyen çalışmalar ve aşı farkındalık programlarının artılması gereklidir.

Keywords

• Yan etki
• COVID-19 enfeksiyonu
• COVID-19 aşısı
• Sağlık çalışanı
• Pazarlama sonrası izleme
• SARS-CoV-2
• Aşı güvenliği

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