Safety Profile of COVID-19 Vaccination among Adolescents in India - An Initial Experience

Introduction: The government of India announced a nationwide mass vaccination drive for adolescents 15-17 years of age from 3rd January 2022. This announcement was considered a welcome measure by public health experts to increase vaccination coverage throughout the nation. This study was undertaken to understand the safety profile of COVID-19 vaccination among initial adolescent recipients. Methodology: The first 500 such beneficiaries (adolescents of age 15- 18 years) who received COVAXIN were identified. All the vaccination beneficiaries were prospectively taken in the study. These children were telephonically called and assessed for AEFI occurring up to 2 weeks. Results: Among the first 500 beneficiaries vaccinated over the first week of the vaccination drive, 68 (only 13.6%) subjects developed an AEFI. These AEFI were all after the first dose of the vaccine. Conclusion: Our initial experience is that COVAXIN is a relatively safe vaccine in adolescents with the majority of AEFI being mild. It is necessary for documentation and knowledge of the AEFI profile as this will help decrease vaccine hesitancy and promote acceptance.