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. 2021 Jul;20(7):891-898.
doi: 10.1080/14760584.2021.1925112. Epub 2021 May 13.

Safety of an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine among healthcare workers in China

Mei-Xian Zhang  1   2 , Tong-Tong Zhang  3 , Gui-Feng Shi  3 , Feng-Min Cheng  4 , Yan-Ming Zheng  3 , Tao-Hsin Tung  2 , Hai-Xiao Chen  5
Affiliations

Safety of an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine among healthcare workers in China

Mei-Xian Zhang et al. Expert Rev Vaccines. 2021 Jul.

Abstract

Background: Although the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (CoronaVac) has undergone preclinical tests and clinical trials evaluating its efficacy and safety, few data have been reported in the post-licensure real-world setting. We aimed to assess the safety of the vaccine among healthcare workers.Methods: A self-administered online survey on monitoring adverse reactions post vaccination was conducted among the staff who worked at and were vaccinated in a tertiary hospital in Taizhou, China, from February 24 to 7 March 2021. A total of 1526 subjects responded to the questionnaire when they received an e-mail or an e-poster on WeChat.Results: The incidences of overall adverse reactions after the first and second injections were 15.6% (238/1526) and 14.6% (204/1397), respectively. The most common adverse reaction was localized pain at the injection site, with an incidence of 9.6% and 10.7% after each dose, accounting for 61.8% and 73.0% of adverse reactions, respectively. Fatigue, muscle pain, and headache were the most common systemic adverse reactions.Conclusions: These findings implied that the inactivated CoronaVac vaccine has an acceptable safety profile among healthcare workers due to the low incidence of self-reported adverse reactions. This may boost public confidence in nationwide mass vaccination campaigns.

Keywords: Adverse reaction; COVID-19 vaccination; China; healthcare workers; safety.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Adverse reaction after the second dose in the participants with or without adverse reaction after the first dose of vaccination
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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