Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of the selected COVID-19 vaccines on asthmatic patients in Saudi Arabia.
Methods: The cross-sectional study design was employed to collect data from individuals with asthma who visited four primary health centers and the pulmonology clinic at King Fahad General Hospital in Saudi Arabia, using a self-administered questionnaire.
Results: Among the 189 asthmatic patients, the majority were females 118 (62.4%), while males accounted for 71 (37.6%). The participants’ ages ranged from 19 to 66 years. Statistically significant differences were observed in the number of asthma attacks before and after vaccination, both over 4 months (p-value = 0.02) and 1 year (p-value = 0.034). However, no gender-based differences were found in the severity of asthma symptoms following COVID-19 vaccination (p-value = 0.349).
Conclusion: A significantly higher number of asthma attacks were observed among asthmatic patients after COVID-19 vaccination, suggesting that the vaccination might exacerbate asthma. No gender differences in the severity of asthma symptoms were found. Stronger evidence is needed to support future research. The study underscores the importance of further investigation with larger samples and a more detailed examination of gender-specific factors to gain deeper insights.

Key words: Asthma patients, COVID-19 vaccination, asthma exacerbation, KFGH, Saudi Arabia