Covid Vaccine in Egypt " What To expect before you get ?"

Abstract

: Background: The CoVID-19 pandemic necessitated the rapid development and deployment of multiple vaccines globally, including Egypt. Understanding the side effects associated with these vaccines is crucial for informed decision-making and public health policy. This study aimed to compare the side effects of the different type of corona vaccines in the Arab Republic of Egypt. Methods: This retrospective comparative study was carried out on a sample of 1050 individuals who had received CoVID-19 vaccines between 2021 and 2022 in Egypt. Informed written consent was obtained from all participants, and ethical approval was granted by the Research Ethics Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University. Participants were categorized into groups based on the vaccine received. Side effects were documented, and CoVID -19 anti-spike antibodies were measured 21 days and 6 months post-vaccination. Results: Significant differences were observed in symptoms such as cough, pharyngitis, nasal congestion, runny nose, epistaxis, anosmia, dizziness, and drowsiness. However, there were no significant differences in antibody levels among the vaccine types at 6 months post-vaccination. Conclusion: In Egypt, the most frequent CoVID-19 vaccine side effects were headache, fever, fatigue, muscle pain, and joint pain. AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines had higher rates of these side effects. AstraZeneca also exhibited more common side effects such as cough, pharyngitis, nasal congestion, epistaxis, anosmia, dizziness, drowsiness, appetite loss, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation. Allergic reactions, including skin rash, eyelid swelling, and eye redness, were more prevalent with the AstraZeneca vaccine.