COVID-19 vaccination status and its effect on outcome and disease severity

Abstract

Background: The cardinal method for preventing future SARS-CoV-2 infections, hospitalizations, long-term sequelae, and death is COVID-19 vaccination, despite the possibility that the epidemiology of COVID-19 may change as new variants appear. There is little research on the vaccination status of adult COVID-19 patients and the role of vaccines in mitigating the severity and clinical presentation of COVID-19 patients among local population in Kerala. Objectives were to assess vaccination status and clinical profile of adult COVID-19 patients in Arpookara, Panchayath in Kerala and its association with disease severity and outcome among same. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in Arpookara Panchayath in central Kerala, among adult COVID-19 patients during the months of September and October 2021. The required 380 samples were selected by simple random sampling and data was collected by interviewing the subjects using semi structured questionnaire. Results: It was found that 46.1% of the study population were unvaccinated, whereas 30.8% of the population were partially vaccinated and 23.1% were fully vaccinated at the time of COVID-19 infection. A significantly higher proportion of unvaccinated population required hospital admissions, oxygen support and ICU stay when compared to those who took at least one dose of vaccine. Conclusions: Increasing the vaccination coverage of at least single dose of vaccine can reduce rate of hospital admission, ICU stay, oxygen requirement and can improve the outcome of disease. Steps to increase vaccine coverage should be implemented for better outcome of COVID-19 disease as well as to reduce the admission load on the hospitals.