Side effects among healthcare workers from a large Milan university hospital after second dose of BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

In Italy, healthcare workers (HCWs) were among the first to receive COVID-19 vaccination. Aim of the present study is to evaluate frequency and severity of adverse events (AEs) following the second dose of BNT162b2 vaccine among HCWs of a large university hospital in Milan, Italy.

METHODS:

One month after having received the second dose of vaccine, HCWs filled-in a form about type, severity, and duration of post-vaccination local and systemic symptoms. We calculated the overall frequency of AEs and used multivariable Poisson regression models (adjusted for sex, age, BMI, smoking, allergy history, previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, anti-hypertensive therapy, and occupation) to calculate risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of AEs according to selected variables.

RESULTS:

We included 3659 HCWs. Overall, 2801 (76.6%) experienced at least one local event, with pain at injection site being the most frequent (2788, 76.2%). Systemic events were reported by 2080 (56.8%) HCWs, with fatigue (52.3%), muscle pain (42.2%), headache (37.7%), joint pain (31.9%), and fever (26.2%) being the most frequent. Risks of systemic events were associated with female gender (RR=1.14, CI: 1.06-1.23), age (strong decrease with increasing age, p-trend<0.001), allergy history (RR=1.13, CI: 1.05-1.20), and current smoking (RR=0.90, CI: 0.84-0.97). HCWs with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection (even if symptomatic) were not at increased risk.

CONCLUSIONS:

Both local and systemic acute effects after second dose of BNT162b2 vaccine were frequently reported. However, symptoms were mostly light/mild and of short duration. Thus, our findings support the safety of COVID-19 vaccination in adults in relatively good health.

• Authors: Elisa Borroni, Dario Consonni, Massimo Cugno, Andrea Lombardi, Davide Mangioni, Patrizia Bono, Massimo Oggioni, Sara Uceda Renteria, Lorenzo Bordini, Carlo Domenico Nava, Matteo Letzgus, Flaminia Gentiloni Silverj, Silvana Castaldi, Magda Rognoni, Luca Cavallieri D'Oro, Michele Carugno, Luciano Riboldi, Ferruccio Ceriotti, Alessandra Bandera, Andrea Gori, Angela Cecilia Pesatori
• Journal: La Medicina del lavoro (Med Lav) Vol. 112 Issue 6 Pg. 477-485 (Dec 23 2021) ISSN: 0025-7818 [Print] Italy
• PMID: 34939617 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• COVID-19 Vaccines
• RNA, Messenger
• BNT162 Vaccine

Topics

• Adult
• BNT162 Vaccine
• COVID-19
• COVID-19 Vaccines
• Female
• Health Personnel
• Hospitals
• Humans
• RNA, Messenger
• SARS-CoV-2