tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Osong Public Health Res Perspect
. 2023 Jun;14(3):164-172.
doi: 10.24171/j.phrp.2023.0096. Epub 2023 Jun 22. Estimating the number of severe COVID-19 cases and COVID-19-related deaths averted by a nationwide vaccination campaign in Republic of Korea
Ji Hae Hwang[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ju Hee Lee[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Eun Jung Jang[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ryu Kyung Kim[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kil Hun Lee[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Seon Kyeong Park[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sang Eun Lee[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Chungman Chae[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sangwon Lee[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Young Joon Park[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Background: The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency promotes vaccination by regularly providing information on its benefits for reducing the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to analyze the number of averted severe COVID-19 cases and COVID-19-related deaths by age group and quantify the impact of Republic of Korea's nationwide vaccination campaign.
Methods: We analyzed an integrated database from the beginning of the vaccination campaign on February 26, 2021 to October 15, 2022. We estimated the cumulative number of severe cases and COVID-19-related deaths over time by comparing observed and estimated cases among unvaccinated and vaccinated groups using statistical modeling. We compared daily age-adjusted rates of severe cases and deaths in the unvaccinated group to those in the vaccinated group and calculated the susceptible population and proportion of vaccinated people by age.
Results: There were 23,793 severe cases and 25,441 deaths related to COVID-19. We estimated that 119,579 (95% confidence interval [CI], 118,901-120,257) severe COVID-19 cases and 137,636 (95% CI, 136,909-138,363) COVID-19-related deaths would have occurred if vaccination had not been performed. Therefore, 95,786 (95% CI, 94,659-96,913) severe cases and 112,195 (95% CI, 110,870-113,520) deaths were prevented as a result of the vaccination campaign.
Conclusion: We found that, if the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign had not been implemented, the number of severe cases and deaths would have been at least 4 times higher. These findings suggest that Republic of Korea's nationwide vaccination campaign reduced the number of severe cases and COVID-19 deaths.
Keywords: COVID-19; Patient acuity; Republic of Korea; SARS-CoV-2; Vaccination campaign.
. 2023 Jun;14(3):164-172.
doi: 10.24171/j.phrp.2023.0096. Epub 2023 Jun 22. Estimating the number of severe COVID-19 cases and COVID-19-related deaths averted by a nationwide vaccination campaign in Republic of Korea
Ji Hae Hwang[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ju Hee Lee[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Eun Jung Jang[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ryu Kyung Kim[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kil Hun Lee[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Seon Kyeong Park[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sang Eun Lee[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Chungman Chae[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sangwon Lee[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Young Joon Park[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 37415433
- DOI: 10.24171/j.phrp.2023.0096
Background: The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency promotes vaccination by regularly providing information on its benefits for reducing the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to analyze the number of averted severe COVID-19 cases and COVID-19-related deaths by age group and quantify the impact of Republic of Korea's nationwide vaccination campaign.
Methods: We analyzed an integrated database from the beginning of the vaccination campaign on February 26, 2021 to October 15, 2022. We estimated the cumulative number of severe cases and COVID-19-related deaths over time by comparing observed and estimated cases among unvaccinated and vaccinated groups using statistical modeling. We compared daily age-adjusted rates of severe cases and deaths in the unvaccinated group to those in the vaccinated group and calculated the susceptible population and proportion of vaccinated people by age.
Results: There were 23,793 severe cases and 25,441 deaths related to COVID-19. We estimated that 119,579 (95% confidence interval [CI], 118,901-120,257) severe COVID-19 cases and 137,636 (95% CI, 136,909-138,363) COVID-19-related deaths would have occurred if vaccination had not been performed. Therefore, 95,786 (95% CI, 94,659-96,913) severe cases and 112,195 (95% CI, 110,870-113,520) deaths were prevented as a result of the vaccination campaign.
Conclusion: We found that, if the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign had not been implemented, the number of severe cases and deaths would have been at least 4 times higher. These findings suggest that Republic of Korea's nationwide vaccination campaign reduced the number of severe cases and COVID-19 deaths.
Keywords: COVID-19; Patient acuity; Republic of Korea; SARS-CoV-2; Vaccination campaign.