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COVID-19 Vaccines Breakthrough Infections and Adverse Effects Reported by the Birzeit University Community in
Abdallah Damin Abukhalil1, Raya Riyad Abushehadeh1, Sireen Sultan Shatat1
1Faculty of Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Professions, Birzeit University, Birzeit, West Bank, Palestine.
Insights
COVID-19 mRNA vaccines like Pfizer and Moderna showed fewer post-vaccination infections and milder side effects compared to viral vector vaccines. This study compared adverse reactions and infection rates among vaccine types in Palestine.
Area of Science:
- Vaccinology
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines are crucial for immunity and mitigating the pandemic.
- Understanding vaccine safety and efficacy is vital for public health strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare adverse reactions and post-vaccination COVID-19 infection rates.
- To evaluate BNT162 (Pfizer-BioNTech), mRNA-1273 (Moderna), and viral vector vaccines.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cross-sectional study using questionnaires.
- Inclusion of 558 participants aged 18+ vaccinated in Palestine.
- Data collected on adverse reactions and breakthrough infections.
Main Results:
- Viral vector vaccines had higher post-vaccination infection rates (23.8%) than Pfizer (12.7%) and Moderna (8.4%).
- Viral vector vaccines also reported more adverse effects (71.7%) compared to Moderna (66.3%) and Pfizer (61.9%).
- Common side effects like fever and headache were less frequent with Pfizer recipients.
Conclusions:
- mRNA vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna) demonstrated lower rates of breakthrough infections and fewer adverse effects than viral vector vaccines.
- Females and underweight individuals reported more adverse effects.
- The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine group experienced the fewest common side effects.
Background:
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines play an essential role in boosting immunity, preventing severe diseases, and alleviating the Covid-19 health crisis.
Objective:
This study aimed to explore the type and severity of short-term adverse reactions associated with BNT162 (Pfizer-BioNTech), mRNA 1273 (Moderna), and viral vector vaccines and to compare the incidence of post-vaccination Covid-19 infection among the Birzeit University community in Palestine.
Methods:
This questionnaire-based retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted among individuals who were vaccinated with at least one dose of any COVID-19 vaccine offered in Palestine during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study included participants aged 18 years and older who were vaccinated with Pfizer, Moderna, Sputnik Light, or Sputnik v.
Results:
A total of 558 participants who were administered COVID-19 vaccine were included in the study. Sputnik (239), Pfizer vaccine recipients (236), and Moderna vaccine recipients (83). Of the viral vector vaccine recipients, 57 (23.8%) had a post-vaccination infection, compared to 30 (12.7%) for Pfizer and seven (8.4%) for Moderna. Furthermore, the reported adverse effects in the viral victor group were higher than those in the Moderna and Pfizer groups (71.7, 66.3, and 61.9%, respectively). Chills, headache, fatigue, abdominal pain, and joint pain were significantly higher in the Viral Vector vaccine group than the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine. Vomiting, tiredness, and fatigue were significantly less likely to be complained of by Pfizer vaccine recipients compared to Moderna and Viral Vector vaccine recipients (p < 0.05).
Conclusions:
Breakthrough infections were associated with both viral vectors and mRNA; however, the mRNA vaccine had less reported post-vaccine infection. Furthermore, the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine group reported fewer commonly reported side effects (fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle pain, joint pain, nausea, and dizziness), followed by the Moderna and viral vector vaccines. Females and underweight participants experienced more adverse effects with both vaccines, and fewer common side effects were reported by all participants.
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