Effect of Influenza Vaccination on Risk of Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Prospective Cohort Study of 46 000 Healthcare Workers( )

Jonas Henrik Kristensen*, Rasmus Bo Hasselbalch, Mia Pries-Heje, Pernille Brok Nielsen, Andreas Dehlbaek Knudsen, Kamille Fogh, Jakob Boesgaard Norsk, Aleksander Eiken, Ove Andersen, Thea Kølsen Fischer, Claus Antonio Juul Jensen, Christian Torp-Pedersen, Jørgen Rungby, Sisse Bolm Ditlev, Ida Hageman, Rasmus Mogelvang, Mikkel Gybel-Brask, Ram Benny Dessau, Erik Sørensen, Lene HarritshøjFredrik Folke, Maria Elizabeth Engel Moller, Thomas Benfield, Henrik Ullum, Charlotte Svaerke Jorgensen, Sisse Rye Ostrowski, Susanne Dam Nielsen, Henning Bundgaard, Kasper Iversen

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background The purpose of this study was to assess whether influenza vaccination has an impact on the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods A cohort of 46 112 healthcare workers were tested for antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and filled in a survey on COVID-19 symptoms, hospitalization, and influenza vaccination. Results The risk ratio of hospitalization due to SARS-CoV-2 for influenza vaccinated compared with unvaccinated participants was 1.00 for the seasonal vaccination in 2019/2020 (confidence interval, .56-1.78, P = 1.00). Likewise, no clinical effect of influenza vaccination on development of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 was found. Conclusions The present findings indicate that influenza vaccination does not affect the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19.

This cohort study of 46 112 healthcare workers examined the effect of influenza vaccination on hospitalization and symptoms due to COVID-19 and development of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Influenza vaccination had no effect on the specified outcomes.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Infectious Diseases
Volume226
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)6-10
Number of pages5
ISSN0022-1899
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

Keywords

  • cohort study
  • COVID-19
  • healthcare workers
  • influenza vaccination
  • SARS-CoV-2

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