Cent Eur J Public Health 2026, 34(3):167-170 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a8953

Safety profile of the COVID-19 vaccine in chronic vs. non-chronic populations: evidence from a retrospective cohort study

Fitim Alidema1, Arieta Hasani Alidema2
1 Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, UBT College, Prishtina, Kosovo
2 Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medical Sciences, UBT College, Prishtina, Kosovo

This retrospective cohort study evaluated the safety profile of COVID-19 vaccination after the administration of three doses among 1,000 participants in Kosovo, including 600 individuals with chronic diseases and 400 without chronic conditions. Data were collected from medical records and standardized questionnaires on post-vaccination adverse events. Overall, 68.5% of participants reported at least one adverse effect, with a higher incidence among those with chronic diseases (74.3%) compared with non-chronic individuals (59.7%, p = 0.01). The most common reactions were mild and transient, including local injection site pain (39.2%), fatigue (27.6%), headache (21.4%), and mild fever (18.9%), while severe effects such as allergic or cardiac reactions were rare (1.2%). No significant differences were found among vaccine types. The findings indicate that COVID-19 vaccines were generally safe and well tolerated in both chronic and non-chronic populations, emphasizing the importance of continued pharmacovigilance and public health efforts to maintain vaccine confidence.

Keywords: COVID-19 vaccine, adverse effects, chronic disease, safety, pharmacovigilance, public health

Received: February 11, 2026; Revised: August 14, 2026; Accepted: August 14, 2026; Published: September 30, 2026  Show citation

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Alidema F, Hasani Alidema A. Safety profile of the COVID-19 vaccine in chronic vs. non-chronic populations: evidence from a retrospective cohort study. Cent Eur J Public Health. 2026;34(3):167-170. doi: 10.21101/cejph.a8953.
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