COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Self-reported Adverse Effects: A Narrative Review

Abstract

This study reviewed articles investigating the types and severity of adverse effects (AE) of COVID-19 vaccines and the reasons for vaccine hesitancy (VH). Google Scholar, the U.S. National Library of Medicine (PubMed), Science Direct, and Scopus were searched for relevant articles published between 2020 and 2022. Pfizer-BioNTech (92.1%) and Moderna (94.2%) vaccines reported the highest incidence of AEs compared to viral vector and inactivated vaccines. Local AEs were more prevalent in Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Sputnik V, Sinopharm, and Covaxin vaccines, while systemic AEs were more prevalent in Johnson &Johnson, AstraZeneca, and Coronavac. The primary reasons for VH were fear of the AEs (up to 96.8%), disbelief in the efficacy (up to 93.2%), and preference to “wait and see” ( up to 83.2%). VH has been a significant challenge in the global fight against COVID-19. It is crucial to address these concerns and provide accurate information to increase vaccine uptake and ultimately curb the spread of COVID-19.