Objective; To study the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines among the patients visiting health centre at Shimla.

Methods: Patients visiting the health centre were enquired about the side effects of covid 19 vaccine experienced by them.

Results: 38% felt no side effects, neither after 1^st dose, nor after 2^nd dose. 2% reported improvement in overall health. 18% reported side effects after 2^nd dose. 43% experienced side effects after 1^st dose.

38% felt no side effects.33% had fever. 8% had body pain, 6% had pain in the arm, 5% had weakness and fatigue.2% had joint pains. 1% each had pain in legs, hypertension, giddiness, stiffness in body and diarrhoea. 1% had clotting. 1% each experienced increase in appetite and improvement in body pains after the vaccination.

Conclusions; Majority of the patients had either no side effects or only mild side effects and some had reported in improvement in overall heath.

Practical implications: This study demonstrated that benefits of vaccination greatly outweigh the risks.

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Dr Meenu Aggarwal

Resident Medical Officer, Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Rashtrapati Nivas Shimla