Efficacy, Safety, And Public Attitude Towards Covid 19 Vaccines: A Systematic Review

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted various aspects of human life worldwide, causing economic and social hardships, and claiming millions of lives. To combat the virus, several efforts have been made to develop and distribute effective vaccines. This paper examines some of the literature on the performance and safety of different COVID-19 vaccines, the views and opinions of people about the vaccines, and the factors that influence such views and behaviors. Methods: Two major databases (PubMed and Epistemonikos) were checked using search expansion mechanisms and several search strings. After the title, abstract, and full-text analysis, 19 studies were selected for review. Results: The seven different vaccines studied all have supporting data on their efficacy in the reduction of COVID-19 cases, prevention of hospitalization after infection, and reduction in the mortality rate of COVID-19 patients. There was high hesitancy about the COVID-19 vaccine, and the perceived efficacy and safety of the vaccines are less than recorded in clinical data. Distrust of the vaccines, their manufacturers and different institutions and governments, personal beliefs and feelings, age, gender, education, and socioeconomic status was identified factors affecting behaviors towards the COVID-19 vaccines. Conclusion: Several articles support the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, but general awareness and conception about them vary, including hesitancy, distrust, and some acceptance. Many factors affected the perception and attitude of people toward these vaccines. More clinical data on the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines should be generated to help boost confidence among users.