Influenza Vaccination and Health Outcomes in COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Pasquale Domenico Pedote,Pier Luigi Lopalco,Andrea Gigliobianco,Stefano Termite,Francesco Paolo Bianchi

doi:10.3390/vaccines9040358

Pasquale Domenico Pedote, Pier Luigi Lopalco + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9040358

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Abstract

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Several measures aimed at containing the spread of this virus have been recommended by international and nation public health institutions, but whether the influenza vaccine, while not protective against COVID-19, nonetheless reduces disease severity is unclear. This study evaluated the potential role of influenza vaccine in reducing the rate of hospitalization and death in COVID-19 patients. COVID-19 cases recorded in the province of Brindisi (Apulia, Southern Italy) during the first pandemic wave (February–May 2020) and occurring in patients vaccinated with the influenza vaccine during the 2019–2020 influenza season were considered. From February 2020 to May 2020, 3872 inhabitants of the province of Brindisi underwent SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing and 664 (8.7%) tested positive. A multivariate analysis showed that among COVID-19 patients neither hospitalization nor death was significantly associated with influenza vaccination (p > 0.05), whereas within this group male sex, older age, and chronic diseases were identified as risk factors for morbidity and mortality. Our study did not show an association between the influenza vaccine and complications of COVID-19. Nonetheless, influenza vaccination must be promoted as a central public health measure, because by reducing the burden on hospitals it can greatly benefit the management of COVID-19 patients.

Highlights

COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.Neither the virus nor the potentially fatal disease it causes was known before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China in December 2019
Influenza vaccination must be promoted as a central public health measure, because by reducing the burden on hospitals it can greatly benefit the management of COVID-19 patients
Our study found no association between influenza vaccination and disease severity or risk of death in COVID-19 patients

Summary

Introduction

COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Neither the virus nor the potentially fatal disease it causes was known before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China in December 2019. ~98,000,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally, including more than 2,000,000 deaths [2]. Ranks first in Europe in terms of the number of COVID-19-related deaths (83,872; fatality rate: 3.4%) and the second per absolute number of cases (n = 2,447,443) [4]; all data are current as of 25 January 2021. The median age of patients in Italy is 48 years, with a higher proportion of cases among females (51.6%). COVID-19 patients 60+ years of age have the most severe clinical status and the highest death rates [4]

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