Purpose
This study investigated the factors associated with Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in selected areas in Indonesia.
Methods
We used a cross-sectional approach with a correlational research design; a total of 2,730 samples were collected using accidental sampling. The instrument was an online questionnaire. The AEFI questionnaire was a modified version of the survey instrument of the Ministry of Health, Republic of Indonesia. χ² and Fisher's exact tests were used for statistical analysis.
Results
The most common AEFI were pain at the injection site (81.2%), drowsiness (77.2%), hunger (77.0%), headache (70.3%), and weakness (58.4%). Bivariate testing revealed that gender, age, disease history, vaccine type, and anxiety had statistically significant relationships with the incidence of weakness, pain at the injection site, and headache (p<.050). Age and vaccine type were significantly related to the incidence of fever, swelling at the injection site, and hunger. Gender, vaccine type, and anxiety were found to have statistically significant relationships with the incidence of nausea. Vaccine type and anxiety were significantly related to vomiting.
Conclusion
The study found that gender, age, history of disease, vaccine type, and level of anxiety were associated with several adverse events following COVID-19 immunization. These findings provide data to nurses and other health workers to help them offer additional interventions to prevent or reduce adverse events in at-risk groups following COVID-19 vaccination.