Comparison of Perceived Adverse Events After COVID-19 Vaccination Between Pregnant and NonPregnant Women Using Two Cohort Studies in the Netherlands.

BACKGROUND

Maternal vaccines are upcoming. A clear picture of the adverse events (AEs) after maternal vaccination and whether this is comparable to a nonpregnant population is important. The objective of our study was to compare perceived AEs after COVID-19 vaccination between pregnant and nonpregnant women and to study if it is feasible to compare AEs within two independent Dutch cohort studies.

METHODS

Data from the Dutch Pregnancy Drug Register (DPDR) and the cohort event monitoring (CEM) study on COVID-19 vaccines were used. At least one self-reported (solicited) AE, more than one AE, and specific self-reported AEs after the first doses of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine were compared between pregnant and nonpregnant women using multivariable logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

The pattern of AEs was similar between pregnant (n = 2204) and nonpregnant (n = 2684) women, with the four most frequently reported AEs being: injection site reaction, myalgia, fatigue, and headache. Pregnant women reported less often at least one AE compared to nonpregnant women (65.9% vs. 72.3%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.67-0.90), more than one AE, or specific AEs: nausea, chills, pyrexia, and arthralgia. Myalgia was more often reported among pregnant women compared to nonpregnant women.

CONCLUSIONS

Pregnant women perceived comparable or less often AEs after the first mRNA COVID-19 vaccination compared to nonpregnant women. The results aid pregnant women in making an informed decision about vaccination. A comparison between the pregnancy registry and the CEM study was feasible and this method can be used to compare AEs for other/future maternal vaccines.