BNT162b2 COVID-19 VACCINATION AND ITS EFFECT ON BLOOD PRESSURE

This study aims to explore the trends of systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and pulse pressure (PP) before and 15-minutes after two doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine, which were administered 21 days apart. This vaccine safety active surveillance study was carried out on 15th-16th March (first dose) and 5th-6th April 2021 (second dose), in academic hospital.. Vaccinees above 18 years old, SBP, DBP, MAP and PP pre- and 15 minutes post-vaccination for both doses were analysed. Study outcomes were mean of BP, mean of BP changes, and BP trends measurements. A total of 287 vaccinees were included. A quarter (n=72) had decreased DBP ≥ 10mmHg (mean DBP deceased: 15mmHg, 95%CI: 14-17mmHg) after the first dose, and 12.5% post-second dose (mean DBP decreased: 13mmHg, 95%CI: 12-15mmHg). Post-first dose, 28.6% (n= 82) were found to have widened PP > 40mmHg. After the first dose, those who had elevated and decreased SBP ≥ 20mmHg were 5.2% and 4.9%, respectively. Eleven percent (n = 32) had decreased SBP ≥ 20mmHg post-second dose, nevertheless the psychology effect cannot be ruled out. The BNT162b2 vaccine was generally well tolerated. BP changes after vaccination emphasizes the need for monitoring.