Saftey of Covid-19 Vaccines in Real World Studies
Background: The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been present since its outbreak in 2019. Despite global efforts to fully halt its spread, new strains are emerging daily. Various efforts have been undertaken to slow down the infection's spread by implementing different restrictive measures and policies, such as lockdowns, social distancing, and mask-wearing. However, the most effective approach to controlling this disease is through vaccinations (Chen, 2021). Substantial efforts have been dedicated to encouraging people in the United States to receive COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses. As of December 7, 2022, approximately 68.5% of the world's population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. According to the census website, the majority of unvaccinated individuals express concerns about vaccine safety and associated side effects. This meta-analysis study aimed to evaluate the safety of COVID-19 vaccines among the general population through real-world observational studies, intending to establish reliable evidence-based safety measures. Methods: We conducted searches in PubMed, ScienceDirect, MedlinePlus, and Web of Science from August 2021 to October 2023. We included observational studies that investigated the safety of COVID-19 vaccines among vaccinated individuals. Random-effects or fixed-effects models were utilized to estimate the aggregated prevalence of adverse events following vaccination, along with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Our meta-analysis comprised 25 studies. The combined frequency of overall adverse events following vaccination was 36%, with systemic and local adverse events reported at 25% and 22%, respectively. Notably, the occurrence of cardiovascular, vascular, neurological, and allergic adverse events post-vaccination was notably low, all registering below 0.7%. Specifically, cardiovascular events accounted for 0.25%, vascular events at 0.10%, neurological disorders at 0.4%, and allergic reactions at 0.67%. Conclusions: Our meta-analysis of observational real-world studies indicates that COVID-19 vaccines, like other vaccines, are generally safe, causing mild or non-severe side effects, with serious rare side effects being uncommon. These findings align with prior meta-analyses of real-world studies. To enhance COVID-19 vaccination efforts, it's crucial to widely communicate information regarding vaccine safety to both the general public and healthcare professionals. Furthermore, sharing these findings with government officials and policymakers is essential to facilitate the development of appropriate legislative measures.
Adverse events, Covid-19 Vaccines, Meta-analysis, Public Health, Saftey, SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations