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Vaccine
. 2025 Jul 16:62:127468.
doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.127468. Online ahead of print. Influenza vaccine effectiveness against absenteeism among healthcare personnel during the 2022-2023 season in Greece
Helena C Maltezou 1 , Maria N Gamaletsou 2 , Theodoros V Giannouchos 3 , Dimitra-Maria Koukou 4 , Flora Sourri 5 , Nikolaos Lemonakis 6 , Amalia Karapanou 7 , Athanasia Lourida 8 , Periklis Panagopoulos 9 , Dimitrios Hatzigeorgiou 10 , Nikolaos V Sipsas 2
Affiliations
Aim: To estimate the influenza vaccine effectiveness (IVE) against absenteeism among healthcare personnel (HCP) during the 2022-2023 season.
Methods: We prospectively followed 5752 HCP employed in four tertiary-care hospitals in Greece from November 14, 2022 to May 28, 2023 for episodes of absenteeism. Upon onset of symptoms, HCP were tested for influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infection by RT-PCR and/or rapid antigen detection test.
Results: A total of 1029 episodes of absenteeism occurred during the study period. Influenza accounted for 95 (9.2 %) of episodes. The mean duration of work absence per influenza-related episode of absenteeism was 3.6 days compared to a mean of 5.4 days per other non-influenza-related episode of absenteeism (p-value <0.001). Influenza accounted for 341 days missed out of a total of 5360 days missed during the study period. Overall, 1332 HCP had received an influenza vaccine for the 2022-2023 season (influenza vaccination rate: 23.1 %). The unadjusted IVE estimate against influenza-related absenteeism among all HCP was 48.9 % [95 % confidence intervals (CIs): 6.1 % to 71.1 %; p-value = 0.03]. After controlling for age, sex, comorbidities, profession, influenza vaccination, COVID-19 vaccination, and hospital-level variation, the adjusted IVE among HCP with absenteeism was estimated at 69.9 % (95 % CIs, 39.3 % to 85.1 %, p-value = 0.001).
Conclusions: Influenza remains a significant cause of morbidity and absenteeism among HCP in the post-COVID era. Vaccination conferred significant protection against influenza-associated absenteeism among HCP during the 2022-2023 season. HCP should be up to date with influenza vaccination to protect them as well as healthcare facilities from HCP absenteeism.
Keywords: Absenteeism; Healthcare personnel; Influenza; Morbidity; Vaccination.
. 2025 Jul 16:62:127468.
doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.127468. Online ahead of print. Influenza vaccine effectiveness against absenteeism among healthcare personnel during the 2022-2023 season in Greece
Helena C Maltezou 1 , Maria N Gamaletsou 2 , Theodoros V Giannouchos 3 , Dimitra-Maria Koukou 4 , Flora Sourri 5 , Nikolaos Lemonakis 6 , Amalia Karapanou 7 , Athanasia Lourida 8 , Periklis Panagopoulos 9 , Dimitrios Hatzigeorgiou 10 , Nikolaos V Sipsas 2
Affiliations
- PMID: 40675109
- DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.127468
Aim: To estimate the influenza vaccine effectiveness (IVE) against absenteeism among healthcare personnel (HCP) during the 2022-2023 season.
Methods: We prospectively followed 5752 HCP employed in four tertiary-care hospitals in Greece from November 14, 2022 to May 28, 2023 for episodes of absenteeism. Upon onset of symptoms, HCP were tested for influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infection by RT-PCR and/or rapid antigen detection test.
Results: A total of 1029 episodes of absenteeism occurred during the study period. Influenza accounted for 95 (9.2 %) of episodes. The mean duration of work absence per influenza-related episode of absenteeism was 3.6 days compared to a mean of 5.4 days per other non-influenza-related episode of absenteeism (p-value <0.001). Influenza accounted for 341 days missed out of a total of 5360 days missed during the study period. Overall, 1332 HCP had received an influenza vaccine for the 2022-2023 season (influenza vaccination rate: 23.1 %). The unadjusted IVE estimate against influenza-related absenteeism among all HCP was 48.9 % [95 % confidence intervals (CIs): 6.1 % to 71.1 %; p-value = 0.03]. After controlling for age, sex, comorbidities, profession, influenza vaccination, COVID-19 vaccination, and hospital-level variation, the adjusted IVE among HCP with absenteeism was estimated at 69.9 % (95 % CIs, 39.3 % to 85.1 %, p-value = 0.001).
Conclusions: Influenza remains a significant cause of morbidity and absenteeism among HCP in the post-COVID era. Vaccination conferred significant protection against influenza-associated absenteeism among HCP during the 2022-2023 season. HCP should be up to date with influenza vaccination to protect them as well as healthcare facilities from HCP absenteeism.
Keywords: Absenteeism; Healthcare personnel; Influenza; Morbidity; Vaccination.