tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Inform Med Unlocked
. 2021;27:100809.
doi: 10.1016/j.imu.2021.100809. Epub 2021 Nov 30.
Seasonal influenza vaccination coverage and its association with COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia
Marwan Jabr Alwazzeh[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Laila Mohammed Telmesani[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Abdulaziz Saud AlEnazi[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Lamia Abdulwahab Buohliqah[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Roa Talal Halawani[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Noor-Ahmed Jatoi[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Arun Vijay Subbarayalu[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Fahd Abdulaziz Almuhanna[SUP] 7 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is still on-going worldwide. The available information regarding the seasonal influenza vaccine (SIV) coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on SARS-CoV-2 spread are limited. Moreover, it is argued that SIV may or may not lessen the COVID-19 severity. No previous studies have been revealed SIV coverage among COVID-19 patients and its association with COVID-19 spread and severity, especially in Saudi Arabia. Hence, this study aimed to estimate the influenza vaccine uptake in confirmed COVID-19 patients and investigate its impact on COVID-19 spread and severity. Accordingly, 1734 COVID-19 confirmed patients were included from three government hospitals in Saudi Arabia (SA). The data were collected electronically through a newly formed, self-administrated questionnaire. Among those patients, 335 were covered with SIV (19.31%), and the coverage rate of females and males was 23.4% and 15.8%, respectively. Severe COVID-19 cases were less in vaccinated patients than in non-vaccinated (2.69% vs. 3.5%, respectively). Additionally, the results showed a significant decrease in getting infected by SARS-CoV-2 after receiving SIV (P = 0.022). Even with the tremendous efforts to promote SIV uptake among the general population and high-risk groups, the SIV coverage in SA is not optimal yet. Nevertheless, there is a significant decrease in the probability of getting infected with SARS-CoV-2 after receiving SIV. Such findings with the continuous progression of the COVID-19 pandemic call for a novel approach regarding vaccination policies to increase SIV and COVID-19 vaccine uptake.
Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Influenza vaccine; Saudi Arabia; Seasonal influenza.
. 2021;27:100809.
doi: 10.1016/j.imu.2021.100809. Epub 2021 Nov 30.
Seasonal influenza vaccination coverage and its association with COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia
Marwan Jabr Alwazzeh[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Laila Mohammed Telmesani[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Abdulaziz Saud AlEnazi[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Lamia Abdulwahab Buohliqah[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Roa Talal Halawani[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Noor-Ahmed Jatoi[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Arun Vijay Subbarayalu[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Fahd Abdulaziz Almuhanna[SUP] 7 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 34869828
- PMCID: PMC8629771
- DOI: 10.1016/j.imu.2021.100809
Abstract
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is still on-going worldwide. The available information regarding the seasonal influenza vaccine (SIV) coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on SARS-CoV-2 spread are limited. Moreover, it is argued that SIV may or may not lessen the COVID-19 severity. No previous studies have been revealed SIV coverage among COVID-19 patients and its association with COVID-19 spread and severity, especially in Saudi Arabia. Hence, this study aimed to estimate the influenza vaccine uptake in confirmed COVID-19 patients and investigate its impact on COVID-19 spread and severity. Accordingly, 1734 COVID-19 confirmed patients were included from three government hospitals in Saudi Arabia (SA). The data were collected electronically through a newly formed, self-administrated questionnaire. Among those patients, 335 were covered with SIV (19.31%), and the coverage rate of females and males was 23.4% and 15.8%, respectively. Severe COVID-19 cases were less in vaccinated patients than in non-vaccinated (2.69% vs. 3.5%, respectively). Additionally, the results showed a significant decrease in getting infected by SARS-CoV-2 after receiving SIV (P = 0.022). Even with the tremendous efforts to promote SIV uptake among the general population and high-risk groups, the SIV coverage in SA is not optimal yet. Nevertheless, there is a significant decrease in the probability of getting infected with SARS-CoV-2 after receiving SIV. Such findings with the continuous progression of the COVID-19 pandemic call for a novel approach regarding vaccination policies to increase SIV and COVID-19 vaccine uptake.
Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Influenza vaccine; Saudi Arabia; Seasonal influenza.