Safety and side effect profile of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination among healthcare workers: A tertiary hospital experience in Singapore.
10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2021160
- Author:
See Ming LIM
1
;
Hwang Ching CHAN
;
Amelia SANTOSA
;
Swee Chye QUEK
;
Eugene Hern Choon LIU
;
Jyoti SOMANI
Author Information
1. Occupational Health Clinic, National University Hospital, Singapore.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH:
COVID-19;
COVID-19 Vaccines;
Cross-Sectional Studies;
Health Personnel;
Humans;
SARS-CoV-2;
Singapore/epidemiology*;
Tertiary Care Centers;
Vaccination
- From:Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore
2021;50(9):703-711
- CountrySingapore
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
INTRODUCTION:Vaccination remains a key strategy to living endemically with COVID-19. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was first granted interim authorisation for use in Singapore in December 2020. With overseas studies published about the safety and side effect profiles of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines focusing mainly on non-Asian populations, we described the side effects of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination experienced by the healthcare workers (HCWs) in a tertiary hospital in Singapore.
METHODS:Data were obtained from the Occupational Health Clinic (OHC) at the National University Hospital in Singapore, which monitored staff for any adverse effects within 30 minutes post vaccination on-site and any adverse effects after that. A cross-sectional study among the vaccinated HCWs was conducted using an online survey, which established basic demographics, histories of allergies or atopic disorders, and adverse events encountered after dose 1 and dose 2 of vaccination.
RESULTS:No anaphylaxis was reported. Most common symptom was giddiness (32.7%) experienced by HCWs within 30 minutes. Adverse events attended post-vaccination by OHC were generally mild and self-limiting. From the survey, odds of experiencing an adverse event after dose 2 was significantly higher than after the first dose, especially for fever/chills (odds ratio [OR] 22.5). Fever/chills, injection site reactions, headache, aches and pains, and feeling unwell were significantly more common in HCWs below 60 years compared to those ≥60 years. An allergy to food (adjusted OR 2.7) and a history of eczema/sensitive skin (adjusted OR 2.6) were associated with a skin reaction not at injection site.
CONCLUSION:The side effects experienced after Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines are generally self-limiting and mild, with no anaphylaxis reported.
