The Most Common Side Effects of AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine among Saudi Arabian Population: A Systematic Review

In order to fight the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the AstraZeneca vaccine was introduced in the Saudi Arabian vaccination campaign. AstraZeneca was rapidly developed, and side effects have been reported following vaccination. This review aims to evaluate the adverse side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine within the Saudi population. A literature search of the national and international databases PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Embase databases, and Cochrane Library using the search terms "COVID-19 vaccine”, "AstraZeneca post-vaccination,” and "COVID-19 vaccine Saudi Arabia” in combination with the terms "side effects,” "adverse effects,” and "COVID-19 AstraZeneca” was performed. Articles published before 12 January 2022 were eligible for screening. A total of seven articles met the inclusion criteria, totalling 4838 participants. The most common side effects were fever and either pain or redness at the site of the injection. Furthermore, systemic reactions to AstraZeneca accounted for approximately 80% of adverse effects following vaccination. In sum, AstraZeneca appears to have mild to moderate side effects. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Pure & Applied Microbiology is the property of Dr. M. N. Khan and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Evaluation of increased antibody titer COVID-19 after astrazeneca vaccination based on the age at UTA'45 Jakarta Vaccine Center

Background: Vaccine is an essential tool to limit the health of the COVID-19 pandemic. AstraZeneca vaccine already provided promising effectiveness data. Still, the study must check the correlation between vaccination and antibody titer. Aim: This study aims to evaluate antibody titer after AstraZeneca vaccination based on the age group. Materials and Methods: This study used a prospective cross-sectional method with convenience sampling. Inclusion criteria were all Indonesian citizens above 18 years old who were vaccinated at UTA'45 Jakarta Vaccine Center with no history of COVID-19 before the vaccination and had filled up the informed consent. Results: This study's total sample was 102 females;51.90%, residents of Java Island;91.17% had comorbidities;50,98%, smokers;9,80%, alcohol drinker;9,80%, exercise;80,39%, blood pressure;128/73, SpO2: 97,82. Most participants aged around 30 years had a body mass index of 23.33. Age, comorbidity, smoking, alcohol, and exercise habit significantly correlate with the increase of the participants' antibodies (P < 0.001). The age shows that the younger the participant, the higher the titer antibody 2 will be (P = 0.001, 95% confidence interval [CI],-1.935,-0.694). The exercise shows that the participant with the routine practice will have a higher titer antibody 2 (P = 0.002, 95% CI, 12.016, 51.791). Antibody titer for participants younger than 35 years old increased 5.7 times while for participants between 35 and 45 years old was 3.9 times. Another group (>45-55 years old) has shown an improvement in antibody titer at 1.7 times, but the last group (>55 years old) described an increase in antibody titer at 232.3 times. Conclusions: Age, comorbidity, smoking, alcohol, and exercise contributed to the increase in titer antibody 2 value of the AstraZeneca vaccine participants. Participants in the age group <35 years have an excellent immune system.

Aortic thrombosis and acute limb ischemia after ChAdOx1 nCov-19 (Oxford-AstraZeneca) vaccination: a case of vaccine-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (VITT).

INTRODUCTION: Vaccine-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (VITT) is a rare but devastating adverse event associated with the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (Oxford-AstraZeneca) adenoviral vaccine against the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). METHODS: A 49-year-old man presented to the emergency department with acute right limb ischemia (Rutherford IIB) nine days after his ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (Oxford-AstraZeneca) vaccination. CT angiography revealed significant aortic thrombosis and right femoral artery occlusion. Severe thrombocytopenia (platelet count of 23 × 103/µL), promptly elevated D-dimers (37937 ng/mL) and a reduced fibrinogen level (176 mg/dL) were remarkable. ELISA testing for anti-PF4 antibodies confirmed the diagnosis of VITT. RESULTS: An emergency revascularization of the right leg was provided via thrombectomy. High-dose intravenous immunoglobulins were administered whereafter the platelet count restored gradually. Therapeutic anticoagulation was progressively started. The postoperative course was uneventful and follow-up imaging after four weeks showed an almost complete resolution of the significant aortic thrombosis. CONCLUSION: Early recognition and appropriate counseling of VITT is advocated to pursue a good clinical outcome. Our patient presenting with severe aortic thrombosis and acute limb ischemia was successfully treated by a vascular thrombectomy along with intravenous immunoglobulins and anticoagulation therapy as the mainstay therapy.

Seroprevalence and durability of antibody responses to AstraZeneca vaccination in Ugandans with prior mild or asymptomatic COVID-19: implications for vaccine policy.

Introduction: The duration and timing of immunity conferred by COVID-19 vaccination in sub-Saharan Africa are crucial for guiding pandemic policy interventions, but systematic data for this region is scarce. This study investigated the antibody response after AstraZeneca vaccination in COVID-19 convalescent Ugandans. Methods: We recruited 86 participants with a previous rt-PCR-confirmed mild or asymptomatic COVID-19 infection and measured the prevalence and levels of spike-directed IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies at baseline, 14 and 28 days after the first dose (priming), 14 days after the second dose (boosting), and at six- and nine-months post-priming. We also measured the prevalence and levels of nucleoprotein-directed antibodies to assess breakthrough infections. Results: Within two weeks of priming, vaccination substantially increased the prevalence and concentrations of spike-directed antibodies (p < 0.0001, Wilcoxon signed rank test), with 97.0% and 66% of vaccinated individuals possessing S-IgG and S-IgA antibodies before administering the booster dose. S-IgM prevalence changed marginally after the initial vaccination and barely after the booster, consistent with an already primed immune system. However, we also observed a rise in nucleoprotein seroprevalence, indicative of breakthroughs six months after the initial vaccination. Discussion: Our results suggest that vaccination of COVID-19 convalescent individuals with the AstraZeneca vaccine induces a robust and differential spike-directed antibody response. The data highlights the value of vaccination as an effective method for inducing immunity in previously infected individuals and the importance of administering two doses to maintain protective immunity. Monitoring anti-spike IgG and IgA when assessing vaccine-induced antibody responses is suggested for this population; assessing S-IgM will underestimate the response. The AstraZeneca vaccine is a valuable tool in the fight against COVID-19. Further research is needed to determine the durability of vaccine-induced immunity and the potential need for booster doses.

The winding 12-month journey of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine since its first administration to humans.

The deficiently designed and conducted initial clinical development plan and the occurrence of thrombotic thrombocytopenia cases, have marked the 12-month journey of the AstraZeneca coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine after it was first administered to humans. When it was authorized, there were no available efficacy data in the elderly. However, this age group was included in the product labelling based on immunogenicity data. The lack of safety and efficacy data in the elderly that was acknowledged in the product information, triggered most European Union (EU) countries to limit the administration of this vaccine to certain age groups. In February-March/2021, after the results of observational studies supported the vaccine effectiveness in the elderly, several countries broadened its use to this age group. When trust on the vaccine was ramping up, unusual blood clot cases were described in Europe, which led 24 countries around the world to temporarily halt its administration. These cases were first described as thrombotic thrombocytopenia in late March. In mid-April, the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) updated the product information and confirmed the positive benefit/risk ratio of the vaccine, recommending its use with no age restrictions. The World Health Organization (WHO) coincided with this approach. However, several countries decided to limit its use to certain age groups. The EMA listed thrombotic thrombocytopenia as a "very rare" adverse reaction. Although, the AstraZeneca vaccine was conceived in early 2020 to be a worldwide leader in the fight against COVID-19, its use was abandoned by the African Union, Denmark, and Israel. However, this vaccine has shown its usefulness in many settings across the world.

OXFORD VACCINE AND TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY TO BRAZIL: POSSIBLE BENEFITS AMONG THE ADVERSITIES DUE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Objective: to understand the concatenation of acts related to technological innovation in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic and its possible positive consequences for Brazil. Thus, the scenario resulting from the spread of the new coronavirus and vaccine development processes for its eradication will be analyzed, as well as the role of regulatory agencies, comparing pre-and post-pandemic procedures. Next, considerations will be brought about the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine, the result of a partnership between the University of Oxford and the biopharmaceutical AstraZeneca, from the United Kingdom, with the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, from Brazil, and the international technology transfer agreement signed between the institutions. Methodology: national and international data will be examined, as well as Brazilian regulations, collected from official electronic pages of health agencies and institutions responsible for developing the vaccine, in addition to using legal dogmatics, specifically doctrine, with a deductive approach. Results: it is observed that the acts practiced by the Brazilian parties appropriately considered the consequences of the decisions taken and advanced towards fulfilling their intrinsic value and achieving positive results for the country and its people, such as obtaining new technologies, future autonomy in production of vaccines and the resulting economic, social and public health gains from such achievements. Contributions: it should be noted that the work is original and contributes to mastering the transformations experienced worldwide, since, in the global search for a solution that can eradicate the disease, there has been a significant acceleration in national and international movements and cooperation, which are being of greater importance to contribute to the advancement of studies in order to stop the pandemic, also promoting human dignity and enabling social and economic development. © 2023, Centro Universitario Curitiba - UNICURITIBA. All rights reserved.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura following ChAdOx1 nCov-19 vaccination: A case report.

Vaccine-associated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a rare type of acquired TTP recently reported after COVID-19 vaccination. Merely four cases are ascribed to the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine in the medical literature till the preparation of this study. In this case report, we describe a 43-year-old man who developed symptoms of TTP four days after receiving the second dose of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine. Peripheral blood smear demonstrated multiple schistocytes. Given a high plasmic score, he received plasma exchange, corticosteroids, and rituximab, and later, low ADAMTS 13 activity and high-titer ADAMTS inhibition antibody confirmed the diagnosis of COVID-19 vaccine-associated TTP. COVID-19 vaccine-associated TTP is an infrequent consequence of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination but with a substantial mortality rate which must be considered as one of the crucial differential diagnoses of post-COVID-19 vaccine thrombocytopenia besides vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia and Immune thrombocytopenic purpura.

Side Effects Reported by Moroccan Medical Students Who Received COVID-19 Vaccines.

BACKGROUND: Low confidence in the safety of COVID-19 vaccines was found to be a key promoter of vaccine reluctance especially among youth. Furthermore, young adults are an important demographic for building herd immunity through vaccination. As a result, their reactions to getting COVID-19 vaccines are crucial in our fight against SARS-CoV-2 Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey-based study to assess the COVID-19 vaccines' short-term AEFIs among Moroccan medical and pharmacy students. The validated questionnaire was delivered in a digital form to explore the side effects (SE) they encountered after the first or the second dose of one of three vaccines namely: AstraZeneca Vaxzevria, PfizerBioNTeck, and SinoPharm vaccines. RESULTS: There were 510 students in total who took part. After the first and second doses, approximately 72 percent and 78 percent of subjects, respectively, reported no SE. The remainder had localized injection site side effects (26 %). Fatigue (21 %), fever (19 %), headache (17 %), and myalgia (16 %) were the most common systemic adverse effects after the first dose. There were no serious SEs reported. CONCLUSION: The majority of the reported AEFIs in our data were mild to moderate in intensity and lasted only one or two days. COVID-19 vaccinations are highly likely safe for young adults, according to the findings of this study.

Vaccine-Induced Functional Neurological Disorders in the Covid-19 Era.

The large amount of information available to the public regarding vaccines against Covid-19 coupled with pandemic stress and increased somatic attention could potentially precipitate development of functional neurological disorders (FNDs) following vaccination. A growing number of reports indicate that functional symptoms may follow Covid-19 vaccination, similar to those observed with other vaccines previously. We review previously reported cases of FND following vaccination against Covid-19 and present three additional cases. While two patients presented to the Emergency Department with functional movement disorders, one patient presented with protracted limb weakness and sensory dysfunction. The superficial resemblance to Guillain-Barré syndrome, a known but uncommon complication of vaccination prompted an extensive workup. Clinicians need to convey the diagnosis of FND in clear and unequivocal terms to facilitate institution of appropriate therapy and rehabilitation, but importantly also to dispel any doubts in the minds of the public regarding the safety of the available vaccines. Given the presence of significant vaccine hesitancy in many countries, this is critical to the success of the global immunisation effort.

Adverse health events experienced by the recipients of COVID-19 vaccines and the associated factors in southwestern Saudi Arabia

Aims: Studying the post-vaccination adverse health events is crucial to determine the confidence and acceptance of the public to the newly-developed COVID-19 vaccines. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence rates of the adverse health events experienced by the recipients of COVID-19 vaccines in Saudi Arabia. Methodology and results: A cross-sectional study was conducted in October 2021 using a google form of an online self-administered questionnaire sent via different social media platforms for recruiting participants from southwestern Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was prepared by medical and public health professionals and then translated into Arabic, pilot-studied and validated. Among the 453 Saudi adults who participated in the study with at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, about (77.9%) were males aged 25.5 +/- 10.6 years. Most of the participants were college students living in the Makkah region. Nearly 68.3% reported post-vaccination adverse events, such as injection site pain/swelling (91.9%), fatigue (67.9%), bone and muscle pain (65.2%) and flu-like symptoms (58%). The type of vaccine was significantly associated with the development of adverse events p=0.002 (OR of Pfizer-BioNTech versus AstraZeneca: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.18-0.61). Additionally, ageing of more than the 3rd decade, male gender and being married were significantly associated with lower rates of reporting post-vaccination adverse events. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: The development of COVID-19 vaccine-related adverse health events had no significant associations with residence, education, occupation, BMI, chronic diseases or smoking. However, age, gender, marital state and vaccine type may be considered significant predictors for developing post-vaccination adverse reactions.

Covid-19 vaccine (covishield) heralding Moyamoya angiopathy

Indroduction: Thrombotic complications leading to cerebrovascular events occuring in conjunction with Covid-19 vaccination though rare, is well-documented. Moyamoya Angiopathy is a progressive intracranial vasculopathy leading to recurrent strokes. Case presentation: We present two index cases of young patient presenting with stroke and TIA following Covid-19 vaccination (COVISHIELD) leading to unmasking of Moyamoya Angiopathy. Conclusion(s): Arterial stroke following Covid-19 vaccination is documented, but uncommon. However, in the background of a vasculopathy, it may not be so rare. Moyamoya Angiopathy has been closely studied in the model of inflammatory pathophysiology in genetically predisposed patients leading to progressive vaso-occlusive disease. Few reports of Covid-19 infection potentiating Moyamoya Angiopathy symptoms are also documented. Thus, as an extrapolation of the inflammatory etiopathogenesis of Moyamoya Angiopathy, Covid-19 vaccination can similarly affect the Moyamoya symptomatology. These two index cases open new lines of enquiry regarding the interplay of Covid-19 vaccination and neurological destabilization in patients with underlying vasculopathy of inflammatory pathophysiology.Copyright © 2022

Combined peripheral and central nervous system demyelination post-COVID-19 vaccination: A case report

Background: During the era of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, various neurological syndromes were reported during or after the infection. Fortunately, efforts were made to successfully develop various vaccines with high efficacy and safety. Despite the promising results of those vaccines, they are too novel to be fully understood. Here we are shedding light on a neurological case presentation that may be attributed to one of the COVID-19 vaccines. Case presentation: A 23-year-old male patient with no prior comorbidities presented with quadriparesis and numbness that were clinically and electrophysiologically consistent with Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS). The condition started 10 days after the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Moreover, MRI of the brain and spinal cord has shown evidence of non-specific central demyelination. Despite the radiological finding, the patient is not fulfilling the diagnosis of a known demyelination disorder and the lesions regressed on follow-up. Since no better explanation or trigger could be found, a post-vaccination immune-mediated reaction was considered. Conclusion(s): We still cannot assume the certainty of the causality association between the vaccine and the neurological presentation. Meanwhile, we suggest vigilance for cases of GBS or myelitis following vaccination for Covid-19 and that post-vaccination surveillance programs ensure a statistically significant tool to prove or dispsrove the causality.Copyright © 2022 The Authors

Side effects after COVID-19 vaccination: a comparison between the most common available vaccines in Iran

Background and Objectives: Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began, several vaccines have been manufactured to subside it. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of side effects after injecting common COVID-19 vaccines available in Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was accomplished on Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (Tehran, Iran) employees during January and September 2022. Eligible participants were selected based on the simple random method and interviewed about side effects after injecting COVID-19 vaccine. Results: The mean age of 656 participants was 38.03 ± 9.53 years, and 453 (69.1%) were female. The prevalence of post-vaccination side effects was higher after receiving the first dose (53.2%) than the second (35.9%) and third (49.4%) doses. Across all three vaccine doses, the overall proportion of side effects was higher following AstraZeneca than the others. The most common side effect after the first dose of the vaccine was myalgia (41.9%), followed by fever (36.6%), chills (31.6%), local reactions (27.0%), headache (25.5%), and sweating (21.6%). People experienced mainly myalgia (23.3%) and fever (20.3%) after injecting the second dose of the vaccine. Additionally, the participants had myalgia (37.2%), fever (30.8%), chills (29.2%), local reactions (26.0%), and headache (24.4%) after the third dose of the vaccine. Conclusion: AstraZeneca had a higher proportion of post-vaccination adverse effects than Sputnik V, Pastocovac, and Sinopharm. The most common side effects were flu-like syndrome and local reactions at the injection site. Furthermore, people rarely experienced life-threatening side effects. Thus, the available COVID-19 vaccines in Iran are safe. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Iranian Journal of Microbiology is the property of Tehran University of Medical Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Central Nervous System Distribution of the Ataxia-Telangiectasia Mutated Kinase Inhibitor AZD1390: Implications for the Treatment of Brain Tumors

Effective drug delivery to the brain is critical for the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM), an aggressive and invasive primary brain tumor that has a dismal prognosis. Radiation therapy, the mainstay of brain tumor treatment, works by inducing DNA damage. Therefore, inhibiting DNA damage response (DDR) pathways can sensitize tumor cells to radiation and enhance cytotoxicity. AZD1390 is an inhibitor of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated kinase, a critical regulator of DDR. Our in vivo studies in the mouse indicate that delivery of AZD1390 to the central nervous system (CNS) is restricted due to active efflux by P-glycoprotein (P-gp). The free fraction of AZD1390 in brain and spinal cord were found to be low, thereby reducing the partitioning of free drug to these organs. Coadministration of an efflux inhibitor significantly increased CNS exposure of AZD1390. No differences were observed in distribution of AZD1390 within different anatomic regions of CNS, and the functional activity of P-gp and breast cancer resistance protein also remained the same across brain regions. In an intracranial GBM patient-derived xenograft model, AZD1390 accumulation was higher in the tumor core and rim compared with surrounding brain. Despite this heterogenous delivery within tumor-bearing brain, AZD1390 concentrations in normal brain, tumor rim, and tumor core were above in vitro effective radiosensitizing concentrations. These results indicate that despite being a substrate of efflux in the mouse brain, sufficient AZD1390 exposure is anticipated even in regions of normal brain. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Given the invasive nature of glioblastoma (GBM), tumor cells are often protected by an intact blood-brain barrier, requiring the development of brain-penetrant molecules for effective treatment. We show that efflux mediated by P-glycoprotein (P-gp) limits central nervous system (CNS) distribution of AZD1390 and that there are no distributional differences within anatomical regions of CNS. Despite efflux by P-gp, concentrations effective for potent radiosensitization are achieved in GBM tumor-bearing mouse brains, indicating that AZD1390 is an attractive molecule for clinical development of brain tumors.Copyright © 2022 American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapy. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness and adverse effects of astrazeneca and pfizer COVID-19 vaccines among medical students in Oman: A comparative study

Background: Immunization against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 became necessary to control the menace of COVID-19. However, the safety of COVID-19 vaccines must be monitored continuously. The present study aims at comparing the effectiveness and adverse effects of Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines among the cohort of medical students. Methods: It was a single-cohort comparative study, and the data were collected using an online survey from participants who took at least two doses of AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines. The data included demography, breakthrough infections, and adverse effects following vaccination. Bivariate and logistic regression models were used to find associations between effectiveness and independent variables. Statistical significance was considered at P < 0.05. Results: In total, 115 students who had received Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines were included in the study. The mean age of the participants was 21.52. Female (n = 90) participants were more compared to males (n = 25). The majority of them received Pfizer vaccine (95), while AstraZeneca was received by only 20 participants. Overall effectiveness of both AstraZeneca and Pfizer was nearly 85%, while almost 100% protection was observed among those who were vaccinated after contracting the disease. Logistic regression revealed an independent effect of COVID-19 before any vaccination dose offered 66% protection against any subsequent breakthroughs (odds ratio 0.44, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.095-2.08). At least one adverse effect was reported by 96 (83.5%) participants (95% CI: 75.4%-89.75%). Pain at the site of injection, fever, generalized weakness, and headache were the most common adverse effects. Fever (P < 0.001), body ache (P < 0.001), generalized weakness (P = 0.002), and joint pain (P = 0.014) were significantly more common in AstraZeneca as compared to Pfizer. Conclusion: Coronavirus vaccines were well tolerated, safe, and induced protection in most participants. Most postvaccine adverse events were mild to moderate, mainly due to induction of immune response by the body for protection. Furthermore, these mild to moderate adverse effects should not be hindrance to vaccination. © The Author(s) 2023.

COVID-19 Vaccination Status and Post-Vaccination Adverse Effects Among Members of Health Sciences Faculties in Malaysia: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

COVID-19 vaccines are breakthrough to reduce the unprecedented global pandemic;however, misinformation on their efficacy and Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) may impede vaccine uptake. The objective of this study was to evaluate the COVID-19 vaccination compliance rate and AEFI among members of the Health Sciences Faculties (HSF) of our university. An online, cross-sectional, self-administered, structured questionnaire was distributed to the members of the HSF, SEGI University to study the demographic characteristics, history of infection, type of vaccine received, AEFI, duration, and hospitalization. Convenience sampling and descriptive statistics were employed. The Chi-square test was used to compare the postvaccination AEs among the CoronaVac® group, Pfizer-BioNTech group, and AstraZeneca group and a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. About 347 members responded to the survey. Following the first dose, one participant each from the Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca group tested positive for COVID-19. Following the second dose, two participants from the Pfizer-BioNTech contracted COVID-19 infection. Pain at the injection site (45.2%) and swelling (50.0%) were significantly more common in the Pfizer-BioNTech group, whereas warmth (50.0%) was most experienced by those receiving AstraZeneca. After the second dose, headaches (51.8%), fatigue (50.5%), fever (58.6%), myalgia (51.6%), and chills (65.9%) were found to be the highest among recipients of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as compared to the rest. HSF members exhibited a good compliance rate with COVID-19 vaccination. Recipients of AstraZeneca experienced AEFI for a longer duration than the rest. Identification and reporting of the AEFI of COVID-19 vaccines are the need of the hour to encourage compliance to vaccination among members of the public. © 2023,Journal of International Dental and Medical Research. All Rights Reserved.

Vaccination in Mexico as a Political Strategy

Worldwide vaccination has reduced hospitalization and lethality of COVID-19. However, access to vaccines has not been homogeneous across regions and individual countries have shaped their own strategy for the distribution and application of vaccines. In Mexico, vaccination started in November 2020. This chapter reviews Mexico's vaccination strategy and its coverage in comparison with other countries and the impact of vaccination on mortality rates. We also analyze if vaccination may have been used as a political strategy given its application patterns before two major events, i.e., midterm elections and a public consultation. Finally, we evaluate socioeconomic variables across states to predict the vaccination coverage state-wise. We found that as of January 2022, almost 60% of Mexicans has been vaccinated. Thus, mortality associated to COVID-19 has reduced compared with the three previous contagion waves. Finally, the socioeconomic variable that better explain differences across states in terms of vaccination coverage was the percentage of rural population, that is, vaccination was lower where rural population was highest. This result goes against the Mexican federal strategy of protecting the most vulnerable regions first, where rural population was the largest. © TheEditor(s) (ifapplicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021, 2022.

Side Effects Comparison of Coronavirus Vaccines Among Healthcare Workers in Shoushtar, Iran.

Objective: Vaccination is one of the effective ways to fight against COVID-19 disease. Various vaccines have been designed during the coronavirus pandemic. Each of the used vaccines has beneficial effects as well as side effects. Healthcare workers were among the first vaccinated persons against COVID-19 in different countries. The current study aims to compare the side effects of AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Bharat, and Sputnik V on healthcare workers in Iran. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted from July 2021 to January 2022 on 1639 healthcare workers who received the COVID-19 vaccines. Data were collected using a checklist that contained questions related to systemic, local, and severe side effects of the vaccine. The collected data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis, Chi-square, and trend chi-square. P < .05 was regarded as a significant statistical difference. Results: The most commonly injected vaccines were Sinopharm (41.80%), Sputnik V (36.65%), AstraZeneca (17.75%), and Bharat (3.80%), respectively. At least 37.5% of participants reported one complication. The most common side effects after 72 hours of the first and second doses were as follows: injection site pain, fatigue, fever, myalgia, headache, and chill. Overall complication rates were reported as follows: AstraZeneca (91.4%), Sputnik V (65.9%), Sinopharm (56.8%), and Bharat (98.4%). Bharat showed the highest overall side effects, while Sinopharm had the lowest overall side effects. Also, our results indicated that individuals with a previous history of positive COVID-19 infection had a higher rate of overall complications. Conclusions: The majority of participants did not show life-threatening side effects after the injection of 1 of the 4 studied vaccines. Since it was well accepted and tolerable by the participants, it can be used widely and safely against SARS-CoV-2.

Inflammatory Arthritis Associated with COVID-19 Vaccination.

COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be highly efficacious in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infections throughout the pandemic. There have been emerging cases of inflammatory arthritis occurring in close relation to COVID-19 vaccination. We illustrate a case of new-onset inflammatory arthritis 10 days after receiving their second Vaxzevria COVID-19 vaccine. The patient responded dramatically to prednisolone treatment but subsequently required hydroxychloroquine due to persistent inflammatory joint symptoms. Inflammatory arthritis is an increasingly recognized rare adverse effect of COVID-19 vaccination and clinicians should actively consider this in patients with new or flares of inflammatory joint disease.

Multiple Evanescent White Dot Syndrome Following Adenovirus Vector-Based COVID-19 Vaccine (Covishield).

PURPOSE: To report a case of multiple evanescent white dot syndrome (MEWDS) following adenovirus vector-based Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine, Covishield and to present a summary of previously reported cases of MEWDS following COVID-19 vaccines. METHODS: Retrospective case report and review of literature. RESULTS: A 22-year-old Indian female presented with blurred vision, scotomata, and photopsias in her left eye, a day after administration of second dose of Covishield vaccine. Her clinical findings and imaging features confirmed the diagnosis of MEWDS. Her symptoms resolved spontaneously after 2 weeks. CONCLUSION: This is the first reported case of MEWDS following an adenovirus vector-based COVID-19 vaccine. Comparison with previously reported cases of MEWDS following COVID-19 vaccination showed that patients are generally healthy, young to middle-aged women, who develop symptoms after a median time of one week and recover spontaneously over a median period of 4 weeks.