Comparison of Adverse Effects of BioNTech mRNA and Sinovac Vaccines in Adults in Turkey

Objective: The aim of this study is to compare the side effects of Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA and Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccines administered in adults in Turkey. Material and Method: This is a cross-sectional study. The study sample consisted of 187 adults, 95 in the Pfizer-BioNTech group and 92 in the Sinovac-CoronaVac group, who came for vaccination. A Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and a questionnaire were applied to vaccinated individuals in a hospital. They were asked about any adverse effects at 6, 12 and 24 hours post-vaccination. Results: The most common local adverse effect was pain at the injection site, but the most frequent systemic adverse effects were weakness and headache in both groups. Most (87.4%) of our participants who were vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and nearly half (48.9%) of those who received Sinovac-CoronaVac reported adverse effects. Pain felt at the injection site was 86.3% in the Pfizer-BioNTech group and 44.6% in the Sinovac-CoronaVac group. The least pain intensity in participants who were vaccinated with both Pfizer-BioNTech and Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccines was seen in the 24 hours. Conclusion: The pain level at the injection site after Pfizer-BioNTech was higher than the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine. In our study the most systemic adverse effects with both vaccines were weakness and headache.