ABSTRACT
Purpose Our study aims to describe post-vaccination side effects, evaluate the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines and determine the reasons for vaccine hesitancy among Syrians.Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted between April 13 and May 28, 2022. The survey was distributed through social media platforms and face-to-face interviews. Data from vaccinated and unvaccinated participants were collected and analyzed using the chi-square test, multivariable logistic regression to detect factors associated with side effects and severe side effects, and Kaplan-Meier plot to evaluate vaccine efficacy.Results Of the 3509 participants included, 1672 (47.6%) were vaccinated. The most common reasons for not taking the vaccine were concerns about the vaccine’s side effects 815 (44.4%) and not being convinced with the vaccine benefits 762 (41.5%). The majority of symptoms were mild 788 (47.1%), followed by moderate 374 (22.3%), and severe 144 (8.6%). The most common symptoms were tiredness 1028 (61.5%), pain at the injection site 933 (55.8%), and low-grade fever 684 (40.9%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that < 40 years (vs. ≥40; OR: 2.113, p-value = 0.008), females (vs. males; OR: 2.245, p-value < .001), did not receive influenza shot last year (vs. did receive Influenza shot last year OR: 1.697, p-value = 0.041), AstraZeneca (vs. other vaccine brands; OR: 2.799, p-value < .001), co-morbidities (vs. no co-morbidities; OR: 1.993, p-value = 0.008), and diabetes mellitus (vs. no diabetes mellitus; OR: 2.788, p-value = 0.007) were associated with severe post-vaccine side effects. Serious side effects reported were blood clots 5 (0.3%), thrombocytopenia 2 (0.1%), anaphylaxis 1 (0.1%), seizures 1 (0.1%), and cardiac infarction 1 (0.1%). Fully vaccinated participants had higher free of infection time compared with partially vaccinated and previously infected unvaccinated participants (p-value < .001).Conclusion Our study revealed that most side effects reported were mild in severity and self-limiting. Increasing the public’s awareness of the nature of the vaccine’s side effects would reduce the misinformation and improve the public’s trust in vaccines. Larger studies to evaluate rare and serious adverse events and long-term side effects are needed to overcome vaccine hesitancy among people.
Subject(s)
COVID-19ABSTRACT
Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health concern worldwide and is the 13th leading cause of death, and the second deadliest infectious disease after COVID-19 worldwide1. Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) cases accounted for 15% of the 7.2 million cases of TB worldwide in 2019. ² global statistics indicate that Tuberculosis causes 4,500 deaths every day¹. We aim to study the epidemiology of EPTB and its risk factors.Methods: A multicenter retrospective study was conducted at the National Center for Tuberculosis Control in Damascus in the year 2020 to analyze the patients with extrapulmonary tuberculosis.Results: 205 patients were diagnosed with extrapulmonary tuberculosis in Damascus and its countryside in the year 2020, and the most common site of extrapulmonary tuberculosis was Lymph Nodes (102) 49.75%, while ear and breast were the least common (1 case of each). Cervical nodes were the most affected with EPTB (80.40%), while Mediastinal nodes were the least affected (1.96%). The most incidence rate was in patients between 25 and 34 years old, while the least incidence rate was in patients older than 65 years old. The percentage of infected females was approximately 66%, while the percentage of infected males was approximately 34%. The majority of infected patients were residents in the city (78.68%) compared to infected patients from the countryside (21.31%). The most common comorbidity was Hypertension: 23.41% of cases, while kidney diseases were the least common. Smoking was the most common risk factor. The most common general symptom associated with extrapulmonary tuberculosis was fever 55.60%, while night sweats were the least common symptom 14.63%.Conclusion: Tuberculosis is a major public health concern worldwide that can cause death or cause long-lasting complications but still can be prevented by vaccination and avoiding the possible risk factors that were studied in this study.