tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Vaccine
. 2026 Jan 22:75:128264.
doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2026.128264. Online ahead of print.
Absenteeism related to respiratory infections among healthcare personnel in hospitals in Greece from 2020-2021 to 2024-2025
Helena C Maltezou[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Theodoros V Giannouchos[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Maria N Gamaletsou[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Dimitra-Maria Koukou[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Nikolaos Lemonakis[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Flora Sourri[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Emmanuela Peskelidou[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Evanthia Botsa[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Athanasia Lourida[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Dimitrios Hatzigeorgiou[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Periklis Panagopoulos[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Nikolaos V Sipsas[SUP] 3 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Aim: To study absenteeism among healthcare personnel (HCP) in Greek hospitals from 2020-2021 to 2024-2025.
Methods: Data were collected prospectively. Multivariable regressions were applied to estimate associations between variables, duration and cause of absenteeism.
Results: We studied 5525 absenteeism episodes with 38,482 days missed (17.8 episodes per 100 HCP; mean duration of absence per episode: 7.0 days). Compared to other seasons, the 2021-2022 season had the highest number of absenteeism episodes per 100 HCP (28.7) and the longest mean weekly duration of absence per 100 HCP (10.6 days per week) (p-value <0.001 for both). Causes of absenteeism were coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (61.8%), asymptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (10.4%), exposure to COVID-19 (8.3%), and influenza (5.2%). The incidence of COVID-19-related absenteeism declined overtime, while influenza-related absenteeism increased gradually. Compared to unvaccinated HCP, fully and partially COVID-19 vaccinated HCP had 2.58 and 2.08 fewer days of absence, and lower odds of COVID-19-associated absenteeism [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 0.36; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.26-0.51 and aOR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.33-0.67, respectively]. The full COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) against absenteeism was 67.9% (95% CI: 64.0%-71.3%) and against COVID-19-related absenteeism was 55.8% (95% CI: 48.9%-61.8%). Influenza VE against influenza-related absenteeism was 44.8% (95% CI: 22.8%-60.6%).
Conclusions: COVID-19 was the main driver of absenteeism among HCP, however a gradual shift to influenza-related absenteeism occurred overtime. COVID-19 vaccination conferred protection against any absenteeism and against COVID-19-related absenteeism. Influenza vaccination significantly protected against influenza-related absenteeism. HCP should remain up-to-date with COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations to confer protection which can further safeguard healthcare facilities from absenteeism.
Keywords: Absenteeism; COVID-19; Healthcare personnel; Influenza; Vaccination.
. 2026 Jan 22:75:128264.
doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2026.128264. Online ahead of print.
Absenteeism related to respiratory infections among healthcare personnel in hospitals in Greece from 2020-2021 to 2024-2025
Helena C Maltezou[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Theodoros V Giannouchos[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Maria N Gamaletsou[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Dimitra-Maria Koukou[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Nikolaos Lemonakis[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Flora Sourri[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Emmanuela Peskelidou[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Evanthia Botsa[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Athanasia Lourida[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Dimitrios Hatzigeorgiou[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Periklis Panagopoulos[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Nikolaos V Sipsas[SUP] 3 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 41576702
- DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2026.128264
Aim: To study absenteeism among healthcare personnel (HCP) in Greek hospitals from 2020-2021 to 2024-2025.
Methods: Data were collected prospectively. Multivariable regressions were applied to estimate associations between variables, duration and cause of absenteeism.
Results: We studied 5525 absenteeism episodes with 38,482 days missed (17.8 episodes per 100 HCP; mean duration of absence per episode: 7.0 days). Compared to other seasons, the 2021-2022 season had the highest number of absenteeism episodes per 100 HCP (28.7) and the longest mean weekly duration of absence per 100 HCP (10.6 days per week) (p-value <0.001 for both). Causes of absenteeism were coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (61.8%), asymptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (10.4%), exposure to COVID-19 (8.3%), and influenza (5.2%). The incidence of COVID-19-related absenteeism declined overtime, while influenza-related absenteeism increased gradually. Compared to unvaccinated HCP, fully and partially COVID-19 vaccinated HCP had 2.58 and 2.08 fewer days of absence, and lower odds of COVID-19-associated absenteeism [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 0.36; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.26-0.51 and aOR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.33-0.67, respectively]. The full COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) against absenteeism was 67.9% (95% CI: 64.0%-71.3%) and against COVID-19-related absenteeism was 55.8% (95% CI: 48.9%-61.8%). Influenza VE against influenza-related absenteeism was 44.8% (95% CI: 22.8%-60.6%).
Conclusions: COVID-19 was the main driver of absenteeism among HCP, however a gradual shift to influenza-related absenteeism occurred overtime. COVID-19 vaccination conferred protection against any absenteeism and against COVID-19-related absenteeism. Influenza vaccination significantly protected against influenza-related absenteeism. HCP should remain up-to-date with COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations to confer protection which can further safeguard healthcare facilities from absenteeism.
Keywords: Absenteeism; COVID-19; Healthcare personnel; Influenza; Vaccination.