Safety and tolerance of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 infection in systemic lupus erythematosus: results from the COVAD study

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Authors
Gupta, Latika
Issue Date
2022-12-23
Journal
Type
Multicentre Study
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Survey/Questionnaire
Keywords
COVID-19
Adverse events
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Vaccine
Lupus
COVAD
Journal Title
Rheumatology
Volume
62
Issue
1
Begin page
65
End page
76
Abstract
Objective: To determine COVID-19 vaccine-related adverse events (AEs) in the seven-day post-vaccination period in patients with SLE versus autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRDs), non-rheumatic autoimmune diseases (nrAIDs), and healthy controls (HC). Methods: Data were captured through the COVID-19 Vaccination in Autoimmune Diseases (COVAD) questionnaire (March-December 2021). Multivariable regression models accounted for age, gender, ethnicity, vaccine type, and background treatment. Results: Among 9462 complete respondents, 583 (6.2%) were SLE patients (mean age: 40.1 years; 94.5% females; 40.5% Asian; 42.9% Pfizer-recipients). Minor AEs were reported by 83.0% of SLE patients, major by 2.6%, hospitalisation by 0.2%.AE and hospitalisation frequencies were similar between patients with active and inactive SLE. Rashes were more frequent in SLE patients versus HC (OR; 95% CI: 1.2; 1.0-1.5), chills less frequent in SLE versus AIRDs (0.6; 0.4-0.8) and nrAIDs (0.5; 0.3-0.8), and fatigue less frequent in SLE versus nrAIDs (0.6; 0.4-0.9).Pfizer-recipients reported higher overall AE (2.2; 1.1-4.2) and injection site pain (2.9; 1.6-5.0) frequencies than recipients of other vaccines, Oxford/AstraZeneca-recipients more body ache, fever, chills (OR: 2.5-3.0), Moderna-recipients more body ache, fever, chills, rashes (OR: 2.6-4.3). Hospitalisation frequencies were similar across vaccine types. AE frequencies were similar across treatment groups, although chills were less frequent in antimalarial users versus non-users (0.5; 0.3-0.9). Conclusion: While COVID-19 vaccination-related AEs were reported by four-fifths of SLE patients, those were mostly minor and comparable to AEs reported by healthy individuals, providing reassurance regarding COVID-19 vaccination safety in SLE.
Citation
R N, Nikiphorou E, Joshi M, Sen P, Lindblom J, Agarwal V, Lilleker JB, Tan AL, Salim B, Ziade N, Velikova T, Edgar Gracia-Ramos A, Kuwana M, Day J, Makol A, Distler O, Chinoy H, Traboco LS, Kusumo Wibowo SA, Zamora Tehozol EA, Serrano JR, La Torre IG; COVAD Study Group, Aggarwal R, Gupta L, Agarwal V, Parodis I. Safety and tolerance of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 infection in systemic lupus erythematosus: results from the COVAD study. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2022 Nov 22:keac661. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keac661. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36413073.