Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/80067
Title: | Adverse reactions to Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination of healthcare workers at Malta's state hospital |
Authors: | Cuschieri, Sarah Borg, Michael Angelo Agius, Stephen Souness, Jorgen Brincat, Andre Grech, Victor E. |
Keywords: | COVID-19 (Disease) -- Vaccination -- Malta COVID-19 (Disease) -- Vaccination -- Complications -- Malta COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- -- Malta Medical personnel -- Malta -- Attitudes COVID-19 (Disease) -- Prevention -- Malta |
Issue Date: | 2021 |
Publisher: | Wiley |
Citation: | Cuschieri, S., Borg, M., Agius, S., Souness, J., Brincat, A., & Grech, V. (2021). Adverse reactions to Pfizer‐BioNTech vaccination of healthcare workers at Malta’s state hospital. International Journal of Clinical Practice, e14605. |
Abstract: | Background: The long-term control of COVID-19 depends on an effective global vaccination strategy. Protecting healthcare workers (HCWs) from serious infection is critical. Malta, a European country, initiated the vaccination roll-out using Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine targeting HCWs. This study determined vaccination adverse effects (AEs) in this cohort. Method: An online survey was disseminated to all HCWs via work email (29/3/21 to 9/4/21) to gather AEs regarding pain, redness and swelling at injection site, fever, chills, fatigue, muscle/joint pains, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea severity following each dose (Likert scale). Descriptive, comparative and multiple binary regression analyses were performed. Results: A response of 30.30% (n = 1480) was achieved with the commonest AEs being pain at injection site (88.92% CI 95%: 87.21-90.42), mostly mild (51%) and moderate (43%). Fatigue was reported by 72.97% (CI 95%: 70.65-75.17), 42% were mild and 41% were moderate. Females reported significantly (P ≤ .05, respectively) more pain (OR: 1.90), redness (OR: 2.49), swelling at injection site (OR: 1.33), fever (OR: 1.74), chills (OR: 2.32), fatigue (OR: 2.43), muscle (OR: 1.54) and joint pains (OR: 2.01), headache (OR: 2.07) and vomiting (OR: 3.43) when adjusted for age and HCW role. Localised AEs were reported following both vaccine doses unlike systemic AEs that were mostly reported after second doses. Conclusion: Vaccination benefits outweigh the minor AEs experienced, with females exhibiting a higher susceptibility. The general low vaccination AEs observed within the HCW cohort is encouraging and should help in allaying vaccine hesitancy among the population. |
URI: | https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/80067 |
Appears in Collections: | Scholarly Works - FacEMAMar Scholarly Works - FacM&SAna |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Adverse_reactions_to_Pfizer_BioNTech_vaccination_of_healthcare_workers_at_Malta_s_state_hospital_2021.pdf | 458.29 kB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
Items in OAR@UM are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.