Short-Term Active Safety Surveillance of the Spikevax and Nuvaxovid Priming Doses in Australia

Australia commenced administration of the Spikevax (Moderna mRNA-1273) COVID-19 vaccine in August 2021 and Nuvaxovid (Novavax NVX-CoV2373) in January 2022. This study describes the short-term safety profile of priming doses of the Spikevax and Nuvaxovid vaccines given between September 2021 and September 2023. Online surveys were sent via AusVaxSafety, Australia’s active vaccine safety surveillance system, three and eight days after vaccination. A total of 131,775 day 3 surveys were sent, with a response rate of 38.5% (N = 50,721). A total of 43,875 day 8 surveys matched with day 3 survey responses were sent, with a response rate of 71.5% (N = 31,355). Half (50.7%) of respondents reported any adverse event following immunisation (AEFI) in the 0–3 days after vaccination and 24.6% reported any AEFI 4–7 days after vaccination. Fatigue, local pain, headache, and myalgia were the most frequently reported symptoms for both vaccines in both periods. After adjusting for respondent characteristics, vaccination clinic type, jurisdiction, and medical conditions, the odds for reporting AEFI increased with age from 16–19 years to highest odds at 30–39 years, after which it declined. Females had greater odd of reporting AEFI than males across most age groups, vaccine types, and doses. Respondents with a history of anaphylaxis had greater odds of reporting any AEFI (adjusted OR range: 1.50–2.86). A total of 3.1% of respondents reported seeking medical review 0–3 days after vaccination. This study affirms the short-term safety of Spikevax and Nuvaxovid COVID-19 vaccine priming doses in a large sample in Australia.