The Burden of COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects on Nursing Staff in Palestine

This study investigates the impact of various COVID-19 vaccine side effects on nursing staff in Palestine. A quantitative cross-sectional study design was used, and 355 nurses participated by completing a self-administered questionnaire via Google Forms. These nurses worked in private and governmental hospitals and health centres in Palestine. The study showed that 55.2% of participants were hesitant to receive the vaccine. The majority of participants received the Pfizer vaccine (46.5%). Moreover, 50.7% reported experiencing post-vaccination side effects, with 37.5% describing them as mild. The most common side effects included fatigue (48.4%), pain at the injection site (46.2%), fever (46.2%), and headache (39.1%). The impact of different types of COVID-19 vaccines on missed work due to side effects was most notable after the first dose (21.7%), and the side effects were mainly mild and disappeared after one day (34.6%). Participants expressed concerns about safety, effectiveness, and short- and long-term side effects of vaccines.