Abstract :
Introduction: Apprehension pertaining to adverse events associated with vaccine can create hesitancy in population which undermines their confidence in vaccination programmes. Clarity regarding what could be expected post-vaccination through reliable scientific data helps in allaying the apprehension. Our research aims at gauging the adverse experiences of oral health care professionals following first dose of immunization against COVID-19 with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (COVISHIELD™) and BBV152 (COVAXIN®).
Materials and Methods: Data was collected by means of e-questionnaire circulated through online media such as social media platforms to oral health care professionals in India. Data was subjected to statistical analysis using Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS v 26.0, IBM). Descriptive statistics like frequencies and percentage for categorical data, Mean & SD for numerical data has been depicted. Comparison of frequencies of categories of variables with groups was done using chi square test.
Results: Pain at site of injection (n=243) was the most frequently reported AEFI, followed by fever (n=225), headache (n=185), body ache (n=156) and fatigue (n=146). Majority of the AEFIs were perceived to be of mild (58.22%) to moderate (31.50%) severity by the respondents and resolved within first two days of immunization.
Conclusion: AEFIs are almost inevitable when population on a nation-wide scale is involved in the vaccination scheme Availability of scientific data pertaining to AEFIs that could be expected post-vaccination such as our findings could provide clarity to general population about the issue, thereby purging any apprehension developed due to myths circulation through various modes of media.
Keyword :
AEFI, Adverse experiences, Vaccine, ChAdOx1, BBV152