Neuro-musculoskeletal side effects related to COVID-19 vaccines; A cross sectional study in Iranian healthcare workers

Introduction

This study aimed to evaluate neuro-musculoskeletal adverse events related to COVID-19 vaccines in Iranian healthcare workers.

Methods

In this cross-sectional survey, a questionnaire was used, including patients’ demographic information, vaccination information, and local, flu-like, and neuro-musculoskeletal side effects of vaccines. All data were extracted and analyzed by SPSS ver.24.

Results

A total of 500 healthcare workers (381 females, and 119 males), with a Mean ± SD age of 38.06 ± 9.22 years old were recruited; 341 subjects (68.2 %) were vaccinated by Sputnik-V vaccine, 95 subjects (19 %) with AstraZeneca, 40 subjects (8 %) with Sinopharm, and 24 (4.8 %) with Baharat COVID-19 vaccine. Out of 500 participants, COVID-19 vaccines' side effects were reported in 428 subjects (85.6 %) including 339 subjects (67.8 %) with local side effects, 342 subjects (68.4 %) subjects with flu-like side effects, 66 subjects (13.2 %) with neurologic, and 291 subjects (58.2 %) with musculoskeletal side effects. Local pain (67.6 %), fatigue (61.2 %), generalized pain (47.8 %), headache (38.8), upper and lower myalgia (44 %, 36 %), and low back pain (26.8 %) were the most common side effects reported by COVID-19 vaccine recipients. There were significant associations between neuro-musculoskeletal side effects with patients’ sex (P = 0.001), categorized age (less and more than 40 years., P = 0.002), and COVID-19 vaccine types (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Among all the neurological and musculoskeletal side effects, upper limb paresthesia, and upper limb myalgia alongside low back pain were the most frequent respectively. No serious side effects requiring medical attention or hospitalization were reported by participants.