Vaccination Coverage Covid-19 and Self-Reported Adverse Post-Vaccination Events in Mbuji-Mayi, DR Congo.

PURPOSE

This study examines covid-19 vaccine coverage among adults and describes self-reported post-vaccine adverse events and associated risk factors in Mbuji-Mayi.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted, with the study population including adults (18 years and older) who received at least one dose of vaccine in the Bonzola health zone in Mbuji-Mayi between 27 March 2023 and 27 June 2023. The Pearson chi-square test (χ2) and multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 29 and Epi Info 7.2.4.0 software.

RESULTS

A survey of 422 people showed that only 164 (38.86%) had been vaccinated, and 83.54% of these people had had bad reactions to the vaccine. Respondents were mainly men (50.4%) aged between 18 and 25 (52.44%). The most common vaccine was the Johnson & Johnson vaccine (43.8%), followed by the AstraZeneca vaccine (40.1%). The most frequent side effects after vaccination were moderate (fever and vomiting) and least frequent (cough and headache). The results of the multivariate analysis showed that age and sex (respectively 2,946 times (95% CI: 2,946-197,279), 10,019 times (95% CI: 1,214-82,660) and 55,489 times (95% CI: 5,742-536,248) higher than that of men) were associated with the occurrence of self-reported post-vaccination side effects, as well as fever, headache and cough.

CONCLUSION

In view of the sub-optimal rate of vaccination coverage, it is evident that the prevailing circumstances have not been immune to the occurrence of adverse events reported by stakeholders following vaccination against the new coronavirus (Covid-19). This underscores the necessity for rigorous safety monitoring. The dissemination of these findings, in conjunction with the results of vaccine clinical trials, has the potential to contribute to the reduction of mistrust, which is a persistent challenge in the context of vaccine hesitancy.