ABSTRACT
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccinations have been associated with a higher risk of thromboembolic events. There have been no reports of central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) after vaccination with the indigenously developed Covaxin, and worldwide, there has been only one such isolated case after administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine. We report a case of a 44-year-old healthy man who presented with sudden painless vision loss in his left eye 10 days after receiving Covaxin. His best-corrected visual acuity was minimal perception of light, with a relative afferent pupillary defect. Fundus examination revealed arterial attenuation and macular cherry red spot, suggesting an acute CRAO. Optical coherence tomography showed macular swelling and disorganization of the inner layers due to ischemic sequelae. Blood work was normal and cardiovascular examination was unremarkable. The patient was kept on follow-up. To our knowledge, this is the first case of an isolated CRAO after Covaxin administration, but further studies are needed to evaluate this potential association.
ABSTRACT
A few cases of posterior uveitis following COVID-19 vaccination have been reported but none in the pediatric age group. A 15-year-old girl presented with history of headache and bilateral blurred vision of five days duration. The symptoms developed five days after vaccination with the first dose of Covaxin (inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine). Her anterior segment was normal in both eyes (BE), whereas the posterior segment showed mild vitritis with disc edema and multiple yellowish lesions at the level of choroid clustered at the macula and associated with multiple serous detachments. BE uveitis resolved, and the vision was completely recovered three weeks after treatment with steroids. Hence, ophthalmologists should be aware of uveitis following vaccination—a condition that is usually benign, transient, and results in excellent outcomes with timely diagnosis and early treatment with steroids.
ABSTRACT
Background: The current COVID-19 pandemic is one of the greatest public health challenges. The spread of COVID-19 infection continues unabated despite vaccination. Adherence to COVID-19 appropriate behavior is critical to prevent COVID-19 infection. Aim and Objectives: To find out the pattern of COVID-19 appropriate behavior among vaccinated medical students and to estimate the incidence of COVID-19 infection after vaccination. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study using a questionnaire was carried out for a period of 3 months. The questionnaire was prepared based on the guidelines of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. The data were collected using a pretested Google Form (online digital questionnaire) by means of a web-based survey. Results: About 96.5% of the participants wear face cover or mask while meeting someone or during visit to public places and 91.6% maintain respiratory hygiene, whereas 11.6% spit in the open, 16.1% travel unnecessarily, and 36.8% do not discourage crowd. There is significant (P < 0.05) increase in COVID-19 infection after vaccination. Conclusion: This study suggests that more emphasis should be given on sensitizing the medical students about the standard COVID appropriate behaviors because strict adherence to COVID-19 appropriate behavior is the key to the long-term management of this pandemic.
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Aim : Currently no data is available on the safety profile of COVID-19 Vaccines like Covaxin and Sputnik V from Eastern India. Our aim was to evaluate the safety profiles of Covaxin and Sputnik V Vaccine in Eastern India. Methods : 0.5 ml of Covaxin and Sputnik V given to 701 adults in a two-dose regimen at a private tertiary care Hospital, Kolkata, with the doses separated by 4-7 weeks in Covaxin and 3 weeks in Sputnik V. Data regarding local and systemic Adverse Event Following Immunizations (AEFIs) was collected 30 minutes after vaccination and also on the first- and seventh-day following vaccination after each dosage. Results : Incidence of AEFI was 65% and 59% following the first dose of vaccination in Covaxin and Sputnik V groups, respectively. Incidence of AEFI was 83% and 70% after the second dose in Covaxin and Sputnik V groups. Pain in the injection site was the most common adverse effect. Body-ache, fever and tiredness were other systemic side effects. Adverse effects were noticeably more after the second dose. Over half of the reactions were mild in nature. Covaxin had a higher number of moderate adverse reactions after both doses. Adults with age >40 years, Comorbidities, Hypertension and Diabetes had a smaller number of side effects following the first dose of vaccination. People with previous COVID-19 infections had noticeably fewer adverse effects after the second dose. Allergic adults were associated with more systemic side effects, whereas Hypertensive adults had less total AEFI. Conclusion : Both Covaxin and Sputnik V had favorable safety profiles. Sputnik V vaccine had significantly fewer AEFIs compared to Covaxin. Age, co-morbidities, specifically hypertension, Diabetes, Allergy and previous history of COVID-19 infection, were important variables observed in the prevalence of side effects.
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Background: COVID-19 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) was declared Pandemic by the World Health Organization on January 30, 2020. Vaccination represents the best possibility to resolve this pandemic. The current global challenge is the immunization against the SARS-CoV-2. However, the adverse events following immunization (AEFI) of the corona vaccine remains unclear. Aim and Objectives: This observational study aims to represent an accountable data of the AEFI between Covaxin and Covishield in North Indian population. Materials and Methods: The hospital-based prospective and observational study was employed from January 2021 to December 2021 for detecting and monitoring of AEFI in adults. All population vaccinated either covishield or covaxin with both doses were enrolled in the study as targeted population. Post-vaccination vaccinated population were telephonic follow-up with prior consent. Results: A total of 1015 vaccinated individuals were included in this study for assessment of AEFI. After statistical analysis of AEFI between both vaccination at 24 h P = 0.13, 3–7 days 0.4 and complete AEFI P = 0.06 observed. There is no association that was found significant P < 0.05 with the incidence of AEFI. Conclusion: The short-term outcome has not attribute any serious AEFI. This study demonstrated that both vaccines were well-tolerated and safe in generalized population.
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Introduction: COVID-19 infection caused by the SARS COV-2 virus is one of the largest pandemics and has affected every nation worldwide. The introduction of different vaccines against COVID-19 infection has bought new hope in the fight against COVID-19, which would decrease the ongoing crisis. These vaccines were approved for emergency purposes, which had fewer clinical trials involving elderly populations. Hence, this study intends to know the safety profile of the COVID-19 vaccine in the elderly population. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we have collected data regarding the onset of symptoms within 72hrs following first dose of COVID-19 Vaccination among elderly people through a direct interview and by phone call, using a questionnaire. Results: Among 1373 elderly, 445 (32.41%) had no symptoms, while the remaining 928 (67.54%) had developed symptoms. The commonest symptoms were fever 738 (53.75%), pain at local site 536 (39.01%), and body ache 382 (27.82%). All these symptoms were relieved by taking Paracetamol 650mg tablet provided by the vaccination center. The commonest co-morbidities observed were hypertension, diabetes, and ischemic heart disease. There was no mortality. Conclusion: So far, very few studies have been conducted on the elderly population. Our study has an advantage where it has involved a large number of elderly populations. The majority of the elderly in our study received covishield vaccine. We conclude covishield and covaxin vaccines had minor side effects which were selflimiting and can be considered safe in the elderly population despite having multiple co-morbidities. This study endorses that vaccines are safe in the elderly population irrespective of co-morbidities and increasing age.
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Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the levels of neutralizing antibody after COVID vaccination in the elderly and compare it with that of the younger persons. The study also aimed at determining the association between the age, sex, and comorbidities and levels of neutralizing antibodies in the young and the old. Subjects and Methods: This was a single-center, cross-sectional, analytical study, conducted in the General Medicine Unit of ACS Medical College, Chennai, from August 2021 to October 2021. Forty?five elderly persons aged 60 years and above and 103 young adults aged 18 years and above and <60 years who were vaccinated with either COVISHIELD or COVAXIN were randomly selected to participate in this study. A detailed history regarding vaccination status, vaccination type, comorbidities, and breakthrough infection was obtained. Blood samples were collected from the participants to analyze the levels of neutralizing antibodies developed after COVID vaccination. Results: The mean age of the older participants was 66.13 ± 5.3 years and the mean age of the younger participants was 36.48 ± 10.9 years. The median level of neutralizing antibody in the younger participants was 97.4% (interquartile range [IQR]: 96.4%–98.0%) and in the older participants was 97.1% (IQR: 93.1%–97.6%). There was a significant difference in the neutralizing antibody level between the younger and the older participants (P = 0.033). There was no significant difference in the neutralizing antibody levels after two doses of either of the two vaccines among both the groups of participants. There was no significant association between the neutralizing antibody titer and sex and comorbidities in both the groups of participants. Five young and two old participants had breakthrough infections after vaccination. The antibody level was higher in persons with breakthrough infection than in those with no breakthrough infection in both the study groups. Conclusion: There was a significant difference in the neutralizing antibody level between the younger and the older participants after COVID vaccination. No significant difference existed in neutralizing antibody response with respect to the type of vaccine in both the study groups. There was no significant association between sex, comorbid status, and neutralizing antibody levels in both the groups.
ABSTRACT
Background: COVID-19 pandemic is a major public health problem worldwide with limited success in treatment regimes. Vaccination has been an important tool for prevention and control of COVID-19. Health-care professionals (HCPs) as frontline warriors in health-care setups were given priority for getting the vaccination. Data generated from clinical trials in the controlled study participants will be limited. This study was planned to document and analyze data regarding vaccine safety in our hospital. Aims and Objectives: The aims of this study were to identify determine the severity and compare the Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) in HCPs vaccinated for COVID-19. Materials and Methods: After taking ethics committee approval (IEC/ASR APPROVAL/033/2021) and obtaining informed consent from 422 study participants, pre-validated questionnaires were administered for all the participants and data were analyzed for comparing the incidence, severity of AEFI’s. Categorical variables will be calculated in Percentages. Chi-square test was done to correlate the AEFI’s in COVISHIELD versus COVAXIN groups. Results: In this study, about 80.5% were below 40 years of age with female predominance in gender distribution. COVISHIELD was administered in 88.1% and COVAXIN in 11.8%. After COVISHIELD 1st dose, myalgia was the most common mild AEFI reported with 79.8% and in 2nd dose, fever was the most common mild AEFI reported with 51.1%. After COVAXIN, feeling tired was the common AEFI in mild (50%) and moderate grades in both doses. AEFIs’ were significantly greater (P < 0.001) in COVISHIELD 1st dose as compared to COVAXIN 1st dose in injection site reaction, feeling feverish, headache, myalgia, nausea and vomiting, flu-like symptoms, and feeling dizzy. Fever was not significantly different in COVISHIELD 1st dose as compared to COVAXIN 1st dose. There is no significant difference between 2nd dose of COVISHIELD and 2nd dose of COVAXIN for injection site reaction, myalgia, nausea, and vomiting. Serious AEFIs’ were not observed in both vaccine groups. Conclusions: The majority of the AEFI’s in this study are mild-to-moderate in nature and associated after the 1st dose of vaccine. None of the participants had serious AEFI’s with both vaccines in the study. The better safety profile of vaccines allows building public faith in a successful vaccine program for our nation.