Safety and Adverse Effects of the COVID-19 Vaccine Among the General Japanese Population
55 Pages Posted: 28 Feb 2023
Abstract
This study aimed to observe and clarify the association between COVID-19 vaccine recipients’ characteristics and the types of adverse effects in the Japanese population. An anonymous self-report questionnaire was distributed to 4393 students and 1657 white and blue-collar workers (N=6050). Vaccine-related adverse effects were measured twice, once after each vaccination. The contents of each measurement were recorded daily from the day of injection (D0) until the sixth day after injection (D6). The adverse effects included local reactions at the injection site (pain, redness, and swelling) and systemic symptoms (fever, fatigue, headache, myalgia, joint pain, chills, and nausea or vomiting). Adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccination were more frequent in women than in men. Some adverse reactions included more severe symptoms in younger participants, and participants with a lower body mass index were more susceptible. The incidence of adverse effects was higher after the second dose of vaccination than after the first dose. The adverse effects after the first dose predicted the occurrence and severity of the adverse effects after the second dose. More care should be taken for younger participants, women, and those with a lower body mass index for adverse effects after receiving the COVID-19 vaccination.
Note:
Funding Information: This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Declaration of Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
Ethics Approval Statement: Our study was approved by the Ethical Committee of Kumamoto University in 2021 (approval number: 2352). All participants provided informed consent, and research information was sent to everyone in written form without any identifying details. Returning the questionnaire meant agreeing to participate in the survey.
Keywords: COVID-19, Moderna vaccine, adverse effect, Japanese, general population
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