An observational study of post-vaccination symptoms of inactivated virus vaccine versus mRNA COVID-19 vaccine

Purpose: To determine the safety, effectiveness, and post-vaccination side effects of inactivated virus (Sinopharm) and mRNA (Pfizer/BioNTech's) vaccines which are the most frequently used in Jordan. The study focuses on students' experiences of adverse reactions and symptoms after immunization. Method: The cross-sectional survey included 3,903 students at Al-Balqa Applied University. Questionnaires on sociodemographic factors, symptoms, and immunization history were administered over the Internet. Distinct variations were identified by statistical analysis. Results: Most university students (43.6 %) learned about COVID-19 vaccination from social media. The most significant health factor among participants was smoking, with 29.8 % having a history of COVID-19 infection. It was evident that 38.7 % of mRNA-vaccinated people developed moderate systematic side effects. Furthermore, 2.5 % of mRNA-vaccinated participants developed serious side effects that required hospitalization. The most frequently used post-vaccination medications were antipyretics (63.7 %), muscle relaxants (15.6 %), and vitamins (5.1 %) for both vaccines. Conclusion: This study reveals that both vaccine types are effective in preventing symptomatic infections. SinoPharm vaccine has mild and non-life-threatening side effects compared to Pfizer vaccine. The risk of hospitalization for Pfizer recipients is related to their health status and the mechanism of action of nanoparticle-coated mRNA, which is still unclear.