Safety monitoring in inactivated COVID-19 vaccines by clinical pharmacists from a single center in China.

Given that vaccine-induced adverse effects were mostly based on previous laboratory research and clinical trials, real-world data on the safety of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination were lacking. This study reported the adverse events (AEs) among inactivated COVID-19 vaccine recipients. Data were collected from a total of 2,808 hospital employees and their family members in Wuhan, China, with all of them receiving the first dose of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines from two pharmaceutical companies. The first dose was given between 29th April and 13th May 2021. A total of 2,732 vaccinees received the second dose between 27th May and 8th July 2021. The whole process of receiving the vaccine was monitored by clinical pharmacists, and the information on AEs including demographics, occurrence, types, and severity was recorded through an online questionnaire and telephone follow-up. Most of the common AEs were mild and tolerable, and the overall incidence of AEs was lower than the data from the safety profile in clinical trials. Moreover, the incidence of AEs in the first dose (21.30%, 598) was higher than that in the second dose (16.07%, 439). Furthermore, the first injection had more severe AEs (4, 0.14%) than the second injection (2, 0.07%). The AEs involved the skin, muscle, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system, and other tissues and systems. The most common AE was pain at the injection site (first dose: 10.19%, second dose: 12.55%). All the vaccinees with AEs for both doses recovered fully in the end. It was noted that some AEs might cause blood coagulation disorder and bleeding risk. Therefore, ongoing monitoring of AEs after COVID-19 vaccination is essential in evaluating the benefits and risks of each vaccine.

Analysis of Influencing Factors and Pharmaceutical Care of Patients with COVID-19 in Fangcang Shelter Hospital.

PURPOSE: In December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first identified in Wuhan, and rapidly spread throughout China. Patients with mild symptoms were admitted to Fangcang shelter hospitals for centralized quarantine. We aimed to clarify the medication usage, related adverse reactions, and pharmaceutical interventions in patients with mild COVID-19. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We innovatively carried out targeted pharmacy services. We provided online and off-line pharmaceutical services to patients in the Fangcang shelter hospital. The use of medication, related adverse reactions, and the effects of pharmaceutical intervention were analyzed. RESULTS: Lower blood lymphocyte count was proposed as the most significant risk factor in patients with mild illness. All patients received antiviral treatment (arbidol, oseltamivir, and ribavirin); 78.4% of patients received antibiotic therapy (moxifloxacin, levofloxacin, and cefdinir); patients in the moderate disease group received more antibiotic therapy than those in the mild disease group. Most of the patients were treated with traditional Chinese medicine. Patients with moderate disease preferred to receive sedative hypnotic therapy. Diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, insomnia, arrhythmia, and constipation were the most common adverse reactions. The rate of mild-to-moderate illness in the pharmaceutical intervention and non-intervention groups was 20.6% and 31.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Most patients with mild illness were treated with antiviral, antibiotic, and Chinese medicine therapy. However, attention should be paid to patients with mild illness presenting with hypertension and low lymphocyte count at the onset; these patients are more likely to develop moderate or severe disease. Moreover, there were many drug-related problems in Fangcang shelter hospital; pharmaceutical care might contribute to alleviate the progress of the patient's condition. Pharmacists should be prepared to provide skilled and effective services to patients, with the aim to ensure medication safety and promote the overall control of the COVID-19 pandemic.