Covid-19 Vaccination Efficacy, Reported Side Effects, and Hesitancy Among the Syrian Population (preprint)

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.