How Has Covid-19 Pandemic Changed Influenza Vaccination Coverage Among Healthcare Workers of Ircss Ospedale Policlinico San Martino in Genoa?

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) considers healthcare workers (HCWs) one of the priority target groups for influenza vaccination, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how compliance to seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) of the HCWs employed by the IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino in Genoa changed in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. The consent forms were collected to create a dataset that included vaccinations performed in the three-year period 2019-2022, in order to compare the coverage of three flu seasons. 

A total of 6194 HCWs had available records over all three seasons. SIV coverage was 12.8%, 40.9% and 23% in 2019/2020, 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 seasons, respectively.

The mean age of vaccinees was 43.6 years in 2019, 48.3 years in 2020 and 44.9 years in 2021. The SIV coverage in males and females was, respectively, 13.1% and 12.7% in 2019, 43.7% and 39.4% in 2020 (p < 0.05), 24.2% % and 22.4% in 2021. The highest coverage rate was observed among physicians (24% in 2019, 46% in 2020 and 34% in 2021). SIV coverage among nurses was 11% in 2019, 38% in 2020, and 16% in 2021. Among other workers like administrative staff SIV coverage was 5% in 2019, 32% in 2020 and 19% in 2021. If we consider different wards, coverage for medical area increased from 18% in 2019 to 42% in 2020, till 28% in 2021; for surgical area, it was 15% in 2019, 44% in 2020 and 17.5% in 2021; for the services area, it was 5% in 2019, 31% in 2020 and 20% in 2021.

A sharp increase in HCWs coverage was observed during the 2020-2021 flu season. It is important to study the determinants that influenced vaccination adherence and how the COVID-19 pandemic affected SIV coverage.

Note: This conference abstract was presented at the 16th Vaccine Conference organized by the journal Vaccine. This abstract has not been screened by SSRN for potential for public harm and should not be used to inform any clinical decision making. No competing interests or funding statements have been declared.