Table 5.
Incidence of adverse events among the vaccination versus the control group.
| Adverse events | Vaccine type | No. of Studies | Reactions/total | RR (95% CI) | Heterogeneity I2 (%) | Test of effect size (p value) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaccination | Control | ||||||
| Total adverse events | Adenovirus vector vaccines | 3 | 513/1030 | 67/260 | 1.84 (1.50, 2.27) | 0.00 | < 0.001 |
| DNA vaccines | 1 | 31/2678 | 41/2664 | 0.75 (0.37, 1.54) | 55.06 | 0.441 | |
| Inactivated virus vaccines | 5 | 147/1472 | 37/351 | 0.94 (0.63, 1.41) | 17.33 | 0.773 | |
| Subunit vaccines | 3 | 108/1644 | 24/352 | 0.91 (0.60, 1.37) | 0.00 | 0.641 | |
| mRNA vaccines | 5 | 6821/8070 | 2975/7658 | 2.08 (1.77, 2.45) | 87.79* | < 0.001 | |
| Overall | 17 | 7620/14894 | 3144/11285 | 1.59 (1.38, 1.83) | 80.33* | < 0.001 | |
| Systemic adverse events (any) | Adenovirus vector vaccines | 5 | 1051/2594 | 276/1013 | 1.67 (1.37, 2.02) | 40.84* | < 0.001 |
| Inactivated virus vaccines | 3 | 57/1144 | 20/280 | 0.67 (0.41, 1.10) | 0.00 | 0.113 | |
| Subunit vaccines | 5 | 717/3317 | 113/724 | 1.41 (1.17, 1.71) | 7.74 | < 0.001 | |
| mRNA vaccines | 3 | 4715/7899 | 2540/7620 | 1.77 (1.23, 2.55) | 98.05* | 0.002 | |
| Overall | 16 | 6540/14954 | 2949/9637 | 1.55 (1.30, 1.85) | 89.86* | < 0.001 | |
| Local adverse events (any) | Adenovirus vector vaccines | 6 | 1118/3623 | 146/1353 | 2.75 (2.14, 3.55) | 44.44* | < 0.001 |
| Inactivated virus vaccines | 3 | 68/1144 | 14/280 | 1.47 (0.50, 4.35) | 55.48* | 0.488 | |
| Subunit vaccines | 5 | 907/3315 | 48/714 | 3.02 (1.42, 6.40) | 80.86* | 0.004 | |
| mRNA vaccines | 3 | 6234/7899 | 1084/7620 | 6.08 (4.83, 7.64) | 83.32* | < 0.001 | |
| Overall | 17 | 8327/15981 | 1292/9967 | 3.42 (2.74, 4.28) | 85.44* | < 0.001 | |
| Pain | Adenovirus vector vaccines | 4 | 661/2286 | 81/934 | 3.28 (2.46, 4.38) | 19.70* | < 0.001 |
| DNA vaccines | 1 | 7/2678 | 11/2664 | 0.64 (0.25, 1.64) | 1.00 | 0.351 | |
| Inactivated virus vaccines | 6 | 85/1522 | 18/371 | 1.08 (0.65, 1.81) | 0.00 | 0.766 | |
| Subunit vaccines | 6 | 732/3104 | 32/680 | 3.88 (1.60, 9.43) | 78.26* | 0.003 | |
| mRNA vaccines | 6 | 6412/8232 | 936/7716 | 6.67 (5.81, 7.65) | 27.04 | < 0.001 | |
| Overall | 23 | 7897/17822 | 1078/12365 | 3.82 (3.01, 4.86) | 77.14* | < 0.001 | |
| Redness | Adenovirus vector vaccines | 4 | 49/2190 | 6/902 | 1.87 (0.66, 5.27) | 26.34 | 0.240 |
| DNA vaccines | 1 | 2/869 | 1/863 | 1.99 (0.18, 21.86) | − | 0.575 | |
| Inactivated virus vaccines | 4 | 5/880 | 2/213 | 0.48 (0.12, 1.97) | 0.00 | 0.307 | |
| Subunit vaccines | 3 | 60/2171 | 0/427 | 5.25 (1.48, 18.63) | 0.00 | 0.010 | |
| mRNA vaccines | 6 | 416/8034 | 39/7649 | 5.01 (2.15, 11.65) | 64.76* | < 0.001 | |
| Overall | 18 | 538/14188 | 48/10115 | 2.87 (1.58, 5.23) | 57.51* | 0.001 | |
| Swelling | Adenovirus vector vaccines | 3 | 16/818 | 4/213 | 0.88 (0.33, 2.35) | 0.00 | 0.797 |
| DNA vaccines | 1 | 2/1793 | 6/1786 | 0.36 (0.07, 1.99) | 0.00 | 0.243 | |
| Inactivated virus vaccines | 3 | 4/969 | 1/238 | 0.59 (0.13, 2.70) | 0.00 | 0.496 | |
| Subunit vaccines | 3 | 103/2219 | 0/484 | 5.58 (1.73, 17.96) | 0.00 | 0.004 | |
| mRNA vaccines | 6 | 636/8112 | 38/7658 | 7.22 (3.41, 15.28) | 56.36* | < 0.001 | |
| Overall | 16 | 765/13911 | 49/10395 | 2.71 (1.41, 5.19) | 65.02* | 0.003 | |
| Fever | Adenovirus vector vaccines | 5 | 56/3315 | 5/1274 | 1.91 (0.83, 4.42) | 0.00 | 0.130 |
| DNA vaccines | 1 | 3/1754 | 3/1741 | 0.99 (0.20, 4.91) | 0.00 | 0.993 | |
| Inactivated virus vaccines | 4 | 21/1216 | 5/304 | 0.84 (0.32, 2.15) | 0.00 | 0.710 | |
| Subunit vaccines | 5 | 40/2983 | 5/647 | 1.37 (0.61, 3.06) | 0.00 | 0.444 | |
| mRNA vaccines | 6 | 449/8152 | 13/7691 | 4.31 (1.18, 15.72) | 77.42* | 0.027 | |
| Overall | 21 | 572/17442 | 31/11665 | 2.20 (1.20, 4.04) | 60.35* | 0.011 | |
| Headache | Adenovirus vector vaccines | 5 | 497/3315 | 119/1274 | 1.75 (1.45, 2.10) | 0.00 | < 0.001 |
| DNA vaccines | 1 | 7/2678 | 5/2664 | 1.35 (0.40, 4.53) | 0.00 | 0.626 | |
| Inactivated virus vaccines | 4 | 17/1070 | 4/237 | 0.80 (0.33, 1.94) | 0.00 | 0.626 | |
| Subunit vaccines | 6 | 249/3052 | 53/660 | 1.07 (0.81, 1.41) | 0.00 | 0.646 | |
| mRNA vaccines | 6 | 2846/8188 | 1415/7700 | 2.05 (1.35, 3.11) | 91.51* | 0.001 | |
| Overall | 22 | 3629/18347 | 1597/12551 | 1.56 (1.23, 1.96) | 79.24* | < 0.001 | |
| Fatigue | Adenovirus vector vaccines | 5 | 533/3315 | 146/1274 | 1.54 (1.30, 1.82) | 0.00 | < 0.001 |
| DNA vaccines | 1 | 3/1809 | 5/1801 | 0.60 (0.14, 2.55) | 0.00 | 0.489 | |
| Inactivated virus vaccines | 5 | 22/1322 | 6/321 | 0.69 (0.28, 1.68) | 0.00 | 0.409 | |
| Subunit vaccines | 6 | 356/3106 | 59/678 | 1.37 (1.01, 1.87) | 16.74 | 0.046 | |
| mRNA vaccines | 6 | 3674/8188 | 1620/7700 | 1.90 (1.29, 2.81) | 93.51* | 0.001 | |
| Overall | 23 | 4588/17740 | 1836/11774 | 1.57 (1.24, 1.98) | 84.54* | < 0.001 | |
| Chill | Adenovirus vector vaccines | 2 | 149/1564 | 33/753 | 2.07 (1.12, 3.82) | 41.19 | 0.020 |
| mRNA vaccines | 6 | 1450/8210 | 307/7708 | 2.52 (1.10, 5.76) | 93.11* | 0.028 | |
| Overall | 8 | 1599/9774 | 340/8461 | 2.47 (1.27, 4.77) | 91.57* | 0.007 | |
| Vomiting or Nausea | Adenovirus vector vaccines | 5 | 115/3115 | 43/1224 | 1.12 (0.79, 1.57) | 0.00 | 0.525 |
| Inactivated virus vaccines | 3 | 7/653 | 4/141 | 0.40 (0.08, 1.88) | 30.70 | 0.243 | |
| Subunit vaccines | 5 | 83/3034 | 11/660 | 1.30 (0.70, 2.42) | 0.00 | 0.399 | |
| mRNA vaccines | 3 | 663/7936 | 306/7615 | 1.74 (0.79, 3.81) | 91.55* | 0.169 | |
| Overall | 16 | 868/14738 | 364/9640 | 1.26 (0.84, 1.88) | 73.31* | 0.261 | |
| Diarrhea | Adenovirus vector vaccines | 1 | 8/1029 | 1/340 | 2.64 (0.33, 21.06) | − | 0.359 |
| Inactivated virus vaccines | 4 | 10/1066 | 5/274 | 0.51 (0.18, 1.48) | 0.00 | 0.215 | |
| Subunit vaccines | 4 | 93/2294 | 14/420 | 0.78 (0.18, 3.47) | 60.94* | 0.747 | |
| mRNA vaccines | 1 | 5/144 | 2/36 | 0.41 (0.08, 2.12) | 14.69 | 0.289 | |
| Overall | 10 | 116/4533 | 22/1070 | 0.73 (0.36, 1.47) | 28.17 | 0.372 | |
| Arthralgia | Adenovirus vector vaccines | 2 | 6/1229 | 1/390 | 1.30 (0.22, 7.67) | 0.00 | 0.770 |
| Inactivated virus vaccines | 3 | 4/374 | 0/128 | 1.13 (0.23, 5.45) | 0.00 | 0.880 | |
| Subunit vaccines | 3 | 66/1499 | 5/400 | 3.36 (1.47, 7.67) | 0.00 | 0.004 | |
| mRNA vaccines | 5 | 2035/8188 | 874/7700 | 2.00 (1.17, 3.43) | 91.77* | 0.011 | |
| Overall | 13 | 2111/11290 | 880/8618 | 2.06 (1.33, 3.19) | 84.68* | 0.001 | |
| Malaise | Adenovirus vector vaccines | 3 | 260/2593 | 72/1093 | 1.73 (1.35, 2.21) | 0.00 | < 0.001 |
| Subunit vaccines | 1 | 89/686 | 17/222 | 1.79 (0.94, 3.39) | 40.11 | 0.076 | |
| mRNA vaccines | 1 | 7/94 | 1/48 | 2.31 (0.40, 13.31) | 0.00 | 0.350 | |
| Overall | 5 | 356/3373 | 90/1363 | 1.74 (1.40, 2.17) | 0.00 | < 0.001 | |
| Myalgia | Adenovirus vector vaccines | 5 | 424/3315 | 92/1274 | 1.92 (1.40, 2.62) | 21.21 | < 0.001 |
| DNA vaccines | 1 | 2/1793 | 5/1786 | 0.40 (0.08, 2.08) | 0.00 | 0.278 | |
| Inactivated virus vaccines | 4 | 10/1070 | 6/237 | 0.44 (0.17, 1.17) | 0.00 | 0.102 | |
| Subunit vaccines | 4 | 327/2581 | 26/562 | 2.19 (1.43, 3.34) | 10.27 | < 0.001 | |
| mRNA vaccines | 6 | 2666/8162 | 868/7676 | 2.26 (1.32, 3.85) | 93.69* | 0.003 | |
| Overall | 20 | 3429/16921 | 997/11543 | 1.90 (1.38, 2.60) | 84.85* | < 0.001 | |
*The test of heterogeneity: p < 0.1.