Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 is effective at reducing mortality and morbidity of COVID-19. Obesity can decrease the probability of intramuscular vaccine delivery due to increased thickness of the subcutaneous tissue at the deltoid vaccination site. New Zealand vaccination guidelines provide non-specific advice for needle length selection, stating that a 38mm should be selected for a “very large or obese person”. As clinical judgement must be used for these instructions, interpretation likely varies between vaccinators. It is currently unknown whether intramuscular delivery of COVID-19 vaccines is essential to achieve full therapeutic efficacy. Furthermore, reactogenicity is significantly lower for IM vaccination compared with SC delivery for almost all IM vaccines. Concern regarding adverse events following immunisations results in vaccine hesitancy and refusal, therefore inadvertent SC delivery may lead to vaccine avoidant behaviour. This proposed study will compare immunogenicity and reactogenicity of IM and SC COVID-19 vaccination.
>> PROJECT STARTED - 1st December 2023
