Safety and reported adverse effects of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) vaccines in patients with rheumatic diseases

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Symptoms and severity of COVID19 are variable. AIM OF THE WORK: To evaluate the effectiveness and to identify side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines among Egyptian patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (RDs). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 126 patients with various RDs and 200 control. Detailed medical history was recorded with special concern regarding COVID-19 vaccination, types, doses, side effects, post-vaccination infection and treatment. RESULTS: In patients, BBIBP-CorV (Sinopharm) was the most frequent vaccine 42.3 % (n = 52); CoronaVac (Sinovac) 22 % (n = 27); ChAdOx1 (AstraZeneca) 17.9 % (n = 22); BNT162 (Pfizer BioNTech) 14.6 % (n = 18); Sputnik V 1.6 % (n = 2) and Ad26.COV2-S (Johnson & Johnson) 1.6 % (n = 2). Regarding the control, 34.4 % (n = 62) received AstraZeneca; 26.1 % (n = 47) Sinopharm; 16.7 % (n = 30) Pfizer; 11.7 % (n = 21) Sinovac; 6.7 % (n = 12) Sputnik; 3.3 % (n = 6) Johnson & Johnson and 1.2 % (n = 2) mRNA1273 (Moderna). COVID-19 infection decreased after vaccination from 32 (25.4 %) to 7 (5.6 %), and from 162 (81.0 %) to 85 (42.7 %) in RD patients and the control respectively. ICU admission decreased from (6.3 %) among RD patients and from (1.3 %) in control to 0 % after vaccination in both groups. In RD patients, body ache was the commonest reported vaccine adverse effect (44.4 %). Pain at the injection site was the commonest among control (77 %). ChAdOx1 (AstraZeneca) had the highest incidence of side effects, mRNA1273 (Moderna) showed the lowest. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 vaccine was effective in decreasing infection and disease severity in RDs patients and control, with similar, mild adverse effects.