Key result
The ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine caused significantly more fatigue, headache, myalgia, fever, and chills after the first dose compared to the BNT162b2 vaccine (all p<0.001), though effects were transient.
Why the study?
Workers in the education sector were prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination, prompting an evaluation of the adverse effects of two authorised vaccines in a real-life preventive setting.
Does the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine cause different adverse effects compared to the BNT162b2 vaccine in university workers?
Observational (n=7,482)
No
Does the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine cause different adverse effects compared to the BNT162b2 vaccine in university workers?
p-value: p=<0.001
Both ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and BNT162b2 vaccines elicited mostly transient and mild adverse effects, with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 causing more systemic symptoms after the first dose and BNT162b2 after the second dose.
Real-world adverse event monitoring in education workers should not yet change practice; leaves open need for controlled safety comparisons of mRNA and viral-vector vaccines.
Introduction: In Italy, on December 2020, workers in the education sector were identified as a priority population to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The first authorised vaccines were the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA (BNT162b2) and the Oxford-AstraZeneca adenovirus vectored (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) vaccines. Aim: To investigate the adverse effects of two SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in a real-life preventive setting at the University of Padova. Methods: Vaccination was offered to 10116 people. Vaccinated workers were asked to voluntarily report symptoms via online questionnaires sent to them 3 weeks after the first and the second shot. Results: 7482 subjects adhered to the vaccination campaign and 6681 subjects were vaccinated with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine and 137 (fragile subjects) with the BNT162b2 vaccine. The response rate for both questionnaires was high (i.e., >75%). After the first shot, the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine caused more fatigue (p < 0.001), headache (p < 0.001), myalgia (p < 0.001), tingles (p = 0.046), fever (p < 0.001), chills (p < 0.001), and insomnia (p = 0.016) than the BNT162b2 vaccine. After the second dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine, more myalgia (p = 0.033), tingles (p = 0.022), and shivers (p < 0.001) than the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine were elicited. The side effects were nearly always transient. Severe adverse effects were rare and mostly reported after the first dose of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine. They were dyspnoea (2.3%), blurred vision (2.1%), urticaria (1.3%), and angioedema (0.4%). Conclusions: The adverse effects of both vaccines were transient and, overall, mild in severity.
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Mason et al. (2023) conducted an observational in COVID-19 vaccination (n=7,482). ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine vs. BNT162b2 vaccine was evaluated on Adverse effects after the first shot (fatigue, headache, myalgia, fever, chills) (p=<0.001). The ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine caused significantly more fatigue, headache, myalgia, fever, and chills after the first dose compared to the BNT162b2 vaccine (all p<0.001), though effects were transient.
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