{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,17]],"date-time":"2026-04-17T23:32:37Z","timestamp":1776468757443,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,1]],"date-time":"2022-04-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1648771200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Vaccines"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Local, national, and international health agencies have advocated multi-pronged public health strategies to limit infections and prevent deaths. The availability of safe and effective vaccines is critical in the control of a pandemic. Several adverse events have been reported globally following reception of different vaccines, with limited or no data from Africa. This cross-sectional epidemiological study investigated adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination in Africans from April\u2013June, 2021 using a structured online questionnaire. Out of 1200 participants recruited, a total of 80.8% (n = 969) respondents from 35 countries, including 22 African countries and 13 countries where Africans live in the diaspora, reported adverse events. Over half of the vaccinees were male (53.0%) and frontline healthcare workers (55.7%), respectively. A total of 15.6% (n = 151) reported previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2, while about one-fourth, 24.8% (n = 240), reported different underlying health conditions prior to vaccination. Fatal cases were 5.1% (n = 49), while other significant heterogenous events were reported in three categories: very common, common, and uncommon, with the latter including enlarged lymph nodes 2.4% (n = 23), menstrual disorder 0.5% (n = 5), and increased libido 0.2% (n = 2). The study provided useful data for concerned authorities and institutions to prepare plans that will address issues related to COVID-19 vaccines.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/vaccines10040546","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,1]],"date-time":"2022-04-01T21:23:55Z","timestamp":1648848235000},"page":"546","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":14,"title":["Public Health Surveillance for Adverse Events Following COVID-19 Vaccination in Africa"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4152-8659","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"AbdulAzeez Adeyemi","family":"Anjorin","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology (Virology Research), Lagos State University, Ojo 102101, Lagos, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5171-1895","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ismail A.","family":"Odetokun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Public Health & Preventive Medicine, University of Ilorin, Ilorin 200213, Kwara State, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2265-3187","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jean Baptiste","family":"Nyandwi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacy, University of Rwanda, Kigali 4285, Rwanda"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hager","family":"Elnadi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Infectious Diseases and One Health Department, Universite de Tours, 37000 Tours, France"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7852-7812","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kwame Sherrif","family":"Awiagah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Training and Research Unit, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra P.O. Box KB 77, Ghana"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8221-1319","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joseph","family":"Eyedo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology (Virology Research), Lagos State University, Ojo 102101, Lagos, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ajibola Ibraheem","family":"Abioye","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nutrition, Harvard University, Boston, MA 01451, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5428-9565","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"George","family":"Gachara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Kenyatta University, Nairobi 00609, Kenya"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Aala MohmedOsman","family":"Maisara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nephrology and Hemodialysis Center, Bahre Teaching Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, International University of Africa, Khartoum 12223, Sudan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9111-5879","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Youssef","family":"Razouqi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Biological Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Mghilla Campus, BP 523, Beni Mellal 23000, Morocco"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3719-3729","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mohamed Farah","family":"Yusuf Mohamud","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mogadishu Somali Turkish Training and Research Hospital, Mogadishu 2526, Somalia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zuhal Ebrahim","family":"Mhgoob","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infection Control, Al Jawad Hospital, Khartoum 11111, Sudan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Tunde","family":"Ajayi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lagos State Ministry of Health, Ikeja 100271, Lagos, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lazare","family":"Ntirenganya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pharmacovigilance and Safety Monitoring Division, Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority, Kigali P.O. Box 1948, Rwanda"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Morounke","family":"Saibu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemistry, Lagos State University, Ojo 102101, Lagos, Nigeria"},{"name":"Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha Campus, Mthatha 5117, South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Babatunde Lawal","family":"Salako","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan 200132, Oyo State, Nigeria"},{"name":"Office of the Director General, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos 101212, Lagos, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nusirat","family":"Elelu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Public Health & Preventive Medicine, University of Ilorin, Ilorin 200213, Kwara State, Nigeria"},{"name":"Kwara State COVID-19 Technical Working Group, Ilorin 240241, Kwara State, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kikelomo Ololade","family":"Wright","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Community Health and Primary Health Care, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Ikeja 100271, Lagos, Nigeria"},{"name":"Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja 100271, Lagos, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3088-8752","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Folorunso O.","family":"Fasina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD), Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Nairobi 00100, Kenya"},{"name":"Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0182, South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5729-3292","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rasha","family":"Mosbah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Infection Control Unit, Zagazig University Hospitals, Zagazig 44511, Egypt"},{"name":"Faculty of Oral and Dental Medicine, Ahram Canadian University, Giza 12578, Egypt"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"WHO (2021, November 28). 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