Ponticelli D, Losa L, Campagna D, Magliuolo R, Vitale A, Cacciapuoti D, Zampella A, Alleanza L, Schiavone B, Spicuzza L, Ferrara P. Smoking habits predict adverse effects following
mRNA COVID-19 vaccine: Empirical evidence from a pilot study.
Public Health 2023;
219:18-21. [PMID:
37086592 PMCID:
PMC10028337 DOI:
10.1016/j.puhe.2023.03.013]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Objectives
The aim of this research was to investigate the possible association between smoking habits and the incidence of adverse effects (AE) following mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.
Study design
A longitudinal observational study was conducted in a sample of Italian healthcare workers (HCW).
Methods
HCWs who were administered mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (either BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273) were evaluated for the occurrence of AEs after three vaccine doses. Multivariate Poisson regression analyses were fitted to predict AE risk according to smoking characteristics – such as number of tobacco cigarettes smoked per day, smoking time and use of electronic cigarette (e-cig).
Results
Out of 320 total participants, 72 (22.5%) smoked cigarettes and 50 (15.6%) used e-cig, 49 of which being dual users. Tobacco smoking significantly increased the risks of muscle and joint pain during the primary COVID-19 vaccination cycle, and of chills during the whole vaccination series. The number of cigarettes smoked per day and vaping variously predicted AE onset during the whole cycle, with a tendency to respectively reduce and increase their risks. Duration of smoking did not affect any AE, except for headache after booster dose. Most results remained significant after Bonferroni adjustment of significance level.
Conclusion
Our pilot study indicated a possible effect of smoking habits on AE onset. Our research offers evidence that helps understanding possible predictors of the interindividual variability in COVID-19 vaccine response, serving as a reference for further studies on the effect smoking on vaccine safety and effectiveness.
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