Affiliations 

  • 1 Rumailah Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
  • 2 Hamad General Hospital, HMC, Doha, Qatar
  • 3 Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Medical College, Mauritius
  • 4 Faculty of Medicine, QIUP, Malaysia
  • 5 Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
  • 6 Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, England, United Kingdom
  • 7 Faculty of Nutrition and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  • 8 Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal
  • 9 University Hospital and School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
  • 10 Confederation of Epidemiological Associations, India
  • 11 Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
  • 12 University of Huddersfield, United Kingdom
Nepal J Epidemiol, 2021 Mar;11(1):959-982.
PMID: 33868742 DOI: 10.3126/nje.v11i1.36163

Abstract

Background: To date, there is no comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the suitability of COVID-19 vaccines for mass immunization. The current systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of novel COVID-19 vaccine candidates under clinical trial evaluation and present a contemporary update on the development and implementation of a potential vaccines.

Methods: For this study PubMed, MEDLINE, and Embase electronic databases were used to search for eligible studies on the interface between novel coronavirus and vaccine design until December 31, 2020.

Results: We have included fourteen non-randomized and randomized controlled phase I-III trials. Implementation of a universal vaccination program with proven safety and efficacy through robust clinical evaluation is the long-term goal for preventing COVID-19. The immunization program must be cost-effective for mass production and accessibility. Despite pioneering techniques for the fast-track development of the vaccine in the current global emergency, mass production and availability of an effective COVID-19 vaccine could take some more time.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest a revisiting of the reported solicited and unsolicited systemic adverse events for COVID-19 candidate vaccines. Hence, it is alarming to judiciously expose thousands of participants to COVID-19 candidate vaccines at Phase-3 trials that have adverse events and insufficient evidence on safety and effectiveness that necessitates further justification.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.