Prevalence of Adverse Events of Pneumococcal and Influenza Vaccines among People with Diabetes

Abstract Background: People with diabetes have an increased risk of contracting influenza and pneumonia compared to healthy individuals. In addition, people with diabetes often have comorbidities that increase this risk. Vaccinations are an effective prophylaxis against these infections. The overall vaccination status is still low due to the fear of adverse events. Hence, it is important to analyze the risk of adverse vaccination events. The study aims to find the adverse events and tolerance of influenza and pneumococcal vaccines among people with diabetes who visited a tertiary diabetes care center. Methods: The study is a retrospective analysis of 5423 people with diabetes who received routine influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations. Postvaccination adverse events were collected from Diabetes Tele Management System®. Analysis was carried out using R program version 4.3.2 at a level of significance of 5%. Results: Among 5423 study participants, 2459 (45.34%) received the pneumococcal vaccine, while 2964 (54.65%) received the influenza vaccine. The majority of vaccine recipients, 3591 (66.21%), were male. Among the 2459 people who received the pneumococcal vaccine, 3.17% reported adverse events. Among the influenza group, 8.22% of people reported adverse events. Common adverse events experienced by the pneumococcal group included body pain, fever, tiredness, and pain at the injection site. The influenza group experienced cough, throat pain, sneezing, and asthma. These adverse events were treatable and self-limiting. Conclusion: The pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations were well tolerated by people with diabetes. A very small population reported adverse events, which were self-limiting, and treatable, resulting in a rapid recovery. Vaccinations are, therefore, highly recommended among people with diabetes and must be a part of their routine diabetes care. Vaccination is important to prevent infections and their complications.