Table 2.
Side effects to COVID-19 vaccine reported within 3 days following the first dose
| Side effect, n (%) | HCW (n = 173) | Non-HCW (n = 353) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 after vaccination | |||
| Muscle pain | 111 (64) | 151 (43) | 0.000 |
| Headache | 86 (49.7) | 124 (35) | 0.002 |
| Fever | 69 (40) | 152 (43) | 0.511 |
| Numbness | 20 (12) | 25 (7) | 0.097 |
| Eye muscle pain | 18 (10) | 15 (4) | 0.012 |
| Gastrointestinal symptoms | 16 (9) | 6 (2) | 0.000 |
| Sore throat | 14 (8) | 8 (2.3) | 0.004 |
| Palpitation | 12 (7) | 13 (4) | 0.126 |
| Smell/taste loss | 4 (3.2) | 3 (0.8) | 0.225 |
| Shortness of breath | 6 (3.5) | 17 (4.8) | 0.651 |
| Day 2 after vaccination | |||
| Muscle pain | 96 (56) | 119 (34) | 0.000 |
| Headache | 64 (37) | 90 (26) | 0.008 |
| Fever | 59 (34) | 105 (30) | 0.318 |
| Numbness | 15 (9) | 12 (3) | 0.019 |
| Eye muscle pain | 16 (9) | 16 (5) | 0.029 |
| Gastrointestinal symptoms | 12 (7) | 9 (3) | 0.030 |
| Sore throat | 14 (8) | 4 (1) | 0.000 |
| Palpitation | 11 (6) | 9 (3) | 0.049 |
| Smell/taste loss | 6 (4) | 1 (0.3) | 0.006 |
| Shortness of breath | 3 (2) | 12 (3) | 0.405 |
| Day 3 after vaccination | |||
| Muscle pain | 44 (25) | 52 (15) | 0.004 |
| Headache | 29 (17) | 44 (13) | 0.182 |
| Fever | 12 (7) | 37 (11) | 0.205 |
| Numbness | 7 (4) | 6 (2) | 0.134 |
| Eye muscle pain | 5 (3) | 7 (2) | 0.541 |
| Gastrointestinal symptoms | 8 (5) | 8 (2) | 0.176 |
| Sore throat | 11 (6) | 0 (0) | 0.000 |
| Palpitation | 6 (4) | 8 (2) | 0.404 |
| Smell/taste loss | 2 (1) | 0 (0) | 0.108 |
| Shortness of breath | 4 (2) | 7 (2) | 0.757 |
HCW, healthcare worker.