Adverse events of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant and postpartum women in Brazil: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: By the fact that pregnant and postpartum women are currently using COVID-19 vaccines, ensure their safety is critical. So, more safety evidence is crucial to include this new technology to their vaccine’s calendar and to develop public policies regarding the support and training of Health Care Personnel. This study aims to describe the adverse events (AE) of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant and postpartum women in the early stage of vaccination campaign in Brazil. METHODS: An observational cross-sectional study using data from the Brazilian surveillance information system to characterize the AE of COVID-19 vaccines (Sinovac/Butantan, Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Janssen) in Brazilian pregnant and postpartum women from April to August 2021. Frequency and incidence rate of AE for COVID-19 vaccines were assessed. RESULTS: 3,333 AE following immunization were reported for the study population. AE incidence was 309.4/100,000 doses (95% CI 297.23, 321.51). Within the vaccines available, Sinovac/Butantan had the lowest incidence (74.08/100,000 doses; 95% CI 63.47, 84.69). Systemic events were the most frequent notified (82.07%), followed by local (11.93%) and maternal (4.74%), being most of them classified as non-severe (90.65%). CONCLUSION: Our results corroborate the recommendation of vaccination for these groups. Even though, further studies appraising a longer observation time are still needed to provide a broader safety aspect for the vaccines currently under use for this population.