Trends in adverse events reporting following COVID-19 vaccination among older adults in Korea

초록

Objectives:This study aimed to analyze the adverse events (AEs) reporting trends following COVID-19 vaccination among individuals aged 65 years and older in the Republic of Korea across three vaccination periods. Methods:Data were obtained from the COVID-19 Vaccination Management System, which includes AEs reported after COVID-19 vaccination. The study analyzed AEs reporting rate per 100,000 doses administered and categorized AEs as non-serious or serious based on their severity. A comparative analysis of AEs reporting trends was conducted across three vaccination periods (2022-2023, 2023-2024, 2024-2025). Each period included approximately one month of vaccination and associated AEs reports within the respective season. Results:Among adults aged 65 years and older, the overall AEs reporting rate following COVID-19 vaccination markedly declined across three vaccination periods: from 57.0 per 100,000 doses in 2022-2023 to 14.1 in 2023-2024 and 3.7 in 2024-2025. Both non-serious and serious AEs rate showed consistent downward trends, including reported deaths. Commonly reported AEs such as myalgia, headache, and dizziness persisted over time, though their frequencies declined. Notably, certain symptoms changed in rank; for example, dyspnea and chest pain decreased in prominence, whereas arthritis increased. Temporal analysis showed AEs reports peaked on day 1 post-vaccination across all periods, with rapid declines thereafter, suggesting most AEs were reported shortly after vaccination. Conclusion:This study compared AEs reporting patterns following initial vaccination across different vaccination periods, highlighting notable differences. These findings provide valuable baseline data for future monitoring and analysis of AEs reports after vaccination in older adults.

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