Safety and reported adverse effects of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) vaccines in patients with rheumatic diseases

Background

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Symptoms and severity of COVID19 are variable.

Aim of the work

To evaluate the effectiveness and to identify side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines among Egyptian patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (RDs).

Patients and methods

The study included 126 patients with various RDs and 200 control. Detailed medical history was recorded with special concern regarding COVID-19 vaccination, types, doses, side effects, post-vaccination infection and treatment.

Results

In patients, BBIBP-CorV (Sinopharm) was the most frequent vaccine 42.3 % (n = 52); CoronaVac (Sinovac) 22 % (n = 27); ChAdOx1 (AstraZeneca) 17.9 % (n = 22); BNT162 (Pfizer BioNTech) 14.6 % (n = 18); Sputnik V 1.6 % (n = 2) and Ad26.COV2-S (Johnson & Johnson) 1.6 % (n = 2). Regarding the control, 34.4 % (n = 62) received AstraZeneca; 26.1 % (n = 47) Sinopharm; 16.7 % (n = 30) Pfizer; 11.7 % (n = 21) Sinovac; 6.7 % (n = 12) Sputnik; 3.3 % (n = 6) Johnson & Johnson and 1.2 % (n = 2) mRNA1273 (Moderna). COVID-19 infection decreased after vaccination from 32 (25.4 %) to 7 (5.6 %), and from 162 (81.0 %) to 85 (42.7 %) in RD patients and the control respectively. ICU admission decreased from (6.3 %) among RD patients and from (1.3 %) in control to 0 % after vaccination in both groups. In RD patients, body ache was the commonest reported vaccine adverse effect (44.4 %). Pain at the injection site was the commonest among control (77 %). ChAdOx1 (AstraZeneca) had the highest incidence of side effects, mRNA1273 (Moderna) showed the lowest.

Conclusion

COVID-19 vaccine was effective in decreasing infection and disease severity in RDs patients and control, with similar, mild adverse effects.