Evaluation of safety profile of ChAdOx1-nCoV-19 Coronavirus (Covisheild) Vaccine among health care professionals in a tertiary care hospital: 6 months follow-up observation

Background: As there were no vaccines available for any strains of coronaviruses, it was inevitable to develop safe and effective vaccines for the prevention of infection. There were limited data on the safety of the vaccine in the real-world environment, so the present study is undertaken to assess the safety of the vaccine. Aim and Objectives: The objective of the study is to evaluate the safety profile of ChAdOx1-nCoV-19 Coronavirus Vaccine (Covishield) among health care professionals. Materials and Methods: This is 6 months follow-up observation of vaccinated individuals, 545 health care workers have taken Covishield Vaccine for a duration of 1 month in a tertiary care hospital in two doses with 28 days apart. Demographic data such as age, gender, and comorbidities were noted. They were given a World Health Organization-based Adverse Event Following Immunization form to fill if they have any of the symptoms. Their phone numbers were collected to check for any adverse reactions every week after the first dose till the next dose and every month for another 6 months. Results: Adverse reactions were reported by 147 out of 297 vaccinated individuals after the first dose, 40 members out of 248 individuals after the second dose 24 h after vaccination. Pain at the site of infection and body ache/myalgia was seen in 27% of individuals. Reactions were mild in most of the individuals which resolved in a day without medication. Conclusions: Although the frequency of adverse reactions was observed in more individuals, they were mostly mild and self-limiting. This may show that vaccine has an acceptable safety profile in our observation among health care professionals.