Evaluation of Short-Term Side Effects Following the First Dose of COVID-19 Vaccines Among Physicians and Dentists: A Cross-Sectional Study from India

Figures & data

Table 1 Demographic and Background Characteristics of Respondents

Variables	Number	Percent
Gender (n=507)
Male	238	46.9%
Female	269	53.1%
Age (in years) (n=509)
≤30	158	31.0%
31–40	209	41.1%
41–50	80	15.7%
51–60	37	7.3%
61–70	22	4.3%
70+	3	0.6%
Workplace (n=495)
Private	367	74.1%
Public/Government	124	25.1%
Both Private and Public	2	0.4%
None	2	0.4%
Occupation (n=509)
Physician	183	36.0%
Dentist	326	64.0%
Vaccination Status (n=509)
First dose only	112	22.0%
Both first and second doses	397	78.0%
Vaccine type (n=509)
Covishield (AstraZeneca)	463	91.0%
BBV152 (Covaxin -India)	43	8.4%
Moderna (Spikevax)*	2	0.4%
Gam-COVID-19-Vac (Sputnik V)	1	0.2%
COVID-19 test status (n=509)
Yes, tested positive (RT-PCR)	118	23.2%
Yes, tested positive (CT)	6	1.2%
Yes, never tested (symptomatic)	23	4.5%
No	362	71.1%
Time of SARS-CoV-2 infection (n=135)
Before the 1st dose	64	47.4%
Between 1st dose and 2nd dose	23	17.0%
After the 2nd dose	48	35.6%
Comorbidities, if any (n=495)
No illness	384	77.6%
Hypertension	31	6.3%
Diabetes	20	4.0%
Diabetes, hypertension, and others	9	1.8%
Obesity and others	14	2.8%
Autoimmune diseases	6	1.2%
Asthma and others	14	2.8%
Hypothyroidism	9	1.8%
Others	8	1.6%
Incidence of side effects (n=509)
Yes	204	40.1%
No	305	59.9%

Notes: *Moderna vaccine was not available in India during the study period. The participants may have received it in other countries where the vaccine was available.

Abbreviations: RT-PCR, reverse transcription PCR test; CT, cycle threshold PCR test.

Figure 1 Reported adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccination following the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines (n = 204).

Table 2 Summary of the Five Most Reported Side Effects Following the First Dose of COVID-19 Vaccines (n = 204)

Adverse Event	Severity of Side Effects				Time of Appearance				Duration of Side Effects
	Severe	Moderate	Mild	Total	Same Day	2–3 Days	4–7 Days	Total	Same Day	1–3 Days	4–7 Days	>7 Days	Total
Soreness of the injected arm	6 (2.9%)	38 (18.7%)	117 (57.4%)	161 (78.9%)	98 (48.4%)	60 (29.4%)	2 (1.0%)	160 (78.4%)	11 (5.4)	96 (47.1%)	39 (19.1%)	0 (0%)	146 (71.6%)
Soreness of muscles	4 (2.0%)	44 (21.6%)	47 (23.0%)	95 (46.6%)	47 (23.7%)	40 (19.6%)	0 (0%)	87 (42.6%)	8 (4.0%)	57 (27.9%)	12 (5.9%)	4 (2.0%)	81 (39.7%)
Fever	8 (4.0%)	59 (28.9%)	45 (22.1%)	112 (54.9%)	65 (31.9%)	46 (22.5%)	0 (0%)	111 (54.4%)	24 (11.8%)	77 (37.7%)	3 (1.5%)	5 (2.5%)	109 (53.4%)
Headache	9 (4.4%)	41 (20.1%)	52 (25.5%)	102 (50%)	65 (31.9%)	37 (18.1%)	2 (1.0%)	104 (51.0%)	26 (12.7%)	54 (26.5%)	10 (4.9%)	4 (2.0%)	94 (46.1%)
Tiredness	12 (5.9%)	56 (27.5%)	77 (37.7%)	145 (71.1%)	58 (28.4%)	52 (25.5%)	2 (1.0%)	112 (54.9%)	14 (6.9%)	64 (31.4%)	13 (6.4%)	9 (4.4%)	100 (49.0%)

Table 3 Prevalence of Side Effects Among Physicians and Dentists Following First Dose of COVID-19 Vaccines Stratified by Gender and Age

Adverse Events	Gender				Age				Occupation
	Male (n=238)	Female (n= 269)	Total	p-value	21–44 Years (n=392)	45+ Years (n= 110)	Total	p-value	Physicians (n=183)	Dentists (n= 326)	Total	p-value
Soreness of injected arm	52 (21.8%)	109 (40.5%)	161	0.353	136 (34.7%)	23 (20.9%)	159	0.145	53 (29%)	108 (33.1%)	161	0.234
Soreness of muscles	23 (9.7%)	72 (26.8%)	95	0.003	84 (21.4%)	10 (9.1%)	94	0.027	30 (16.4%)	65 (19.9%)	95	0.524
Fever	37 (15.5%)	75 (27.9%)	112	0.701	96 (24.5%)	15 (13.6%)	111	0.532	37 (20.2%)	75 (23%)	112	0.600
Headache	31 (13%)	71 (26.4%)	102	0.085	83 (21.1%)	17 (15.5%)	100	0.065	37 (20.2%)	65 (19.9%)	102	0.402
Vision trouble	7 (3%)	5 (1.9%)	12	0.080	12 (3.1%)	0 (0%)	12	0.321	5 (2.7%)	8 (2.5%)	13	0.705
Tiredness	52 (21.8%)	93 (34.6%)	145	0.127	126 (32.1%)	17 (15.5%)	143	0.001	50 (27.3%)	95 (29.1%)	145	0.450
Sleeping more than usual	21 (8.8%)	67 (24.9%)	88	0.118	78 (20%)	8 (7.3%)	86	0.027	31(16.9%)	57 (17.5%)	88	0.553
Sleeping less than usual	10 (4.2%)	7 (2.6%)	17	0.153	16 (4.1%)	1 (0.9%)	17	0.821	7 (3.8%)	10 (3%)	17	0.230
Sleeping more than usual	4 (1.7%)	2 (0.7%)	6	0.299	6 (1.5%)	0 (0%)	6	0.472	3 (1.6%)	3 (0.9%)	6	0.464
Had more energy	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	3	0.519	3 (0.8%)	0 (0%)	3	0.428	2 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	3	0.370
Less anxious	2 (0.9%)	5 (1.9%)	7	0.401	7 (1.8%)	0 (0%)	7	0.691	4 (1.2%)	3 (0.9%)	7	0.360
Swelling of injected arm	6 (2.5%)	27 (10%)	33	0.092	30 (7.7%)	2 (1.8%)	32	0.166	16 (8.7%)	17 (5.2%)	33	0.427
Swelling all over/allergic reaction	2 (0.9%)	7 (2.6%)	9	0.682	8 (2%)	1 (0.9%)	9	0.664	7 (3.8%)	2 (0.6%)	9	0.026
Rash/itching over injected arm	6 (2.5%)	11 (4.1%)	17	0.843	15 (4%)	2 (1.8%)	17	0.948	7 (3.8%)	10 (3%)	17	0.612
Abdominal pain	6 (2.5%)	8 (3%)	14	0.835	13 (3.3%)	1 (0.9%)	14	0.095	8 (4.3%)	6 (1.8%)	14	0.130
Diarrhea	3 (1.3%)	9 (3.3%)	12	0.919	11 (2.8%)	1 (0.9%)	12	0.599	5 (2.7%)	7 (2.1%)	12	0.042
Nausea	7 (3%)	15 (5.6%)	22	0.667	20 (5.1%)	2 (1.8%)	22	0.340	10 (5.4%)	12 (3.6%)	22	0.038
Vomiting	2 (0.9%)	3 (1.1%)	5	0.850	5 (1.3%)	0 (0%)	5	0.520	4 (2.1%)	1 (0.3%)	5	0.026

Note: Bold - Significance: p < 0.05.

Table 4 Logistic Regression Coefficients and Odds Ratios (95% CI) for Determinants of Side Effects Following the First Dose of COVID-19 Vaccines

Variables	β	SE (β)	Exp(β) with 95% CI
Gender of respondent
Male (Ref)
Female	−0.912***	0.200	0.402 (0.271, 0.595)
Workplace of respondent
Private (Ref)
Public/Government	0.365	0.229	1.441 (0.919, 2.259)
Respondents’ occupation
Physician (Ref)
Dentist	0.049	0.209	1.050 (0.697, 1.583)
Vaccination Status
First dose only (Ref)
Both first and second doses	0.157	0.245	1.170 (0.723, 1.892)
COVID-19 test status
Yes, tested positive (RT-PCR) (Ref)
No	0.052	0.228	1.054 (0.674, 1.647)
Prior presence of any chronic illness
No illness (Ref)
Presence of illness	−0.010	0.231	0.990 (0.630, 1.557)

Notes: Reference category is denoted by (ref). Significance: ***p < 0.01.