COVID-19 postvaccination adverse events and vaccine hesitancy among hospital employees: Is there a link?

Background: Vaccination against COVID-19 has demonstrated high efficacy in preventing illness severe enough to result in hospitalization. Despite these data, universal vaccine adoption by different population groups, including hospital employees, has been a challenging public health task. Vaccine-associated adverse events, the novelty of the vaccines, and the absence of long-term follow-up data have been reported as major contributors to COVID-19 vaccines mistrust. We sought to quantify postvaccination adverse events, to assess their correlation with unvaccinated status, and to evaluate other factors contributing to COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy. Methods: In a 240-bed community hospital located in a metropolitan area in the United States, we conducted a voluntary and anonymous online survey among contracted employees between September and November 2021. The study protocol was approved by the institutional review board at our facility. Results: Of all 185 responders, 143 (77%) were female, 95 (51%) were aged