First-Dose of Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccination to Bangladeshi Residents: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

The ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (Oxford–AstraZeneca) vaccine has been exhibited high effectiveness against COVID-19 in phase 3 clinical trials and are now being used in national vaccination program in Bangladesh. Studying the adverse effects of this vaccine is an urgent requirement. The intention of this survey was to explore the short-term side effects of first-dose of Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination. The survey was carried out from 16 February 2021 to 14 May 2021. People who took the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine were invited via phone or WhatsApp to answer the self-administrated questionnaires. People from different professions were participated in this survey. A total of four hundred (400) answers were collected. The data was analyzed by Microsoft excel and SPSS statistical software. Side effects of first dose of Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine were reported by 225 (58.29%) participants with or without long term health conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney disease. Vaccine receivers reported mild side effects such as fever (34.72 %), chill (2.07 %), nausea (0.52 %), tiredness (17.88 %), allergy (0.52 %), headache (9.59 %), injection site pain (26.94 %), swelling on the arm (1.55 %) and bodyache (10.36 %). The results of survey study showed that women (57, 65.52 % of 87) were more likely to report side effects than men (168, 56.19 % of 299). Participants aged 60 years or younger (200, 58.48 % of 342) reported more side-effects than participants older than 60 years (25, 56.82 % of 44). The ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine-associated side effects reported in this prospective survey were mild in severity. Females experienced vaccine-associated side effects more frequently.