Assessing Covid Vaccine Side Effects Among Greater Noida Students: A Retrospective Study On Health Impacts

Background The global COVID-19 pandemic prompted the development of vaccines, with India approving Covishield and Covaxin. Covishield, a viral vector-based vaccine, and Covaxin, an inactivated virus vaccine, underwent rigorous trials. The nationwide vaccination campaign began in January 2021, initially targeting healthcare workers before expanding. Both vaccines have shown efficacy in preventing COVID-19, with stringent monitoring ensuring safety Meterial and method: A pilot study of purposive sampling among 40 students to confirm the feasibility and acceptability of the study. Data were collected using demographic profile, likert scale questionnaire, based on objective hypothesis to be treated using frequency comparative & inferential statistics using  spss 28. Results: Majority of participants were below 20 years old (54.0%), predominantly female (61.0%), and enrolled in BSc nursing (67.3%), with most in their first year (69.0%) and having received Covishield (69.0%). Significant associations (p < 0.05) were found between age and gender with various side effects, while comorbidities showed significant associations with some side effects. No significant associations were observed with the number of vaccine doses except for fever in Covaxin recipients. Conclusion This study sheds light on the side effects of Covishield and Covaxin vaccinations. Different demographics displayed varying symptom profiles, revealing statistically significant associations with age, gender, number of doses, and co-morbidities. These insights underscore the need to factor in demographic variables for effective vaccination strategies and post-vaccination symptom monitoring to ensure safety and efficacy.