Recent Vaccination Against SARS-CoV-2 Is Associated with Less Severe Disease in Working-Age Adults

Kailey Fischer, Joanne M. Langley, Robyn Harrison, Samira Mubareka, Jeya Nadarajah, Marek Smieja, Louis Valiquette, Curtis Cooper, Jeff Powis, Working Group Ccs, Allison McGeer and Brenda L. Coleman ()
Additional contact information
Kailey Fischer: Sinai Health, 600 University Ave, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada
Joanne M. Langley: Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, IWK and Nova Scotia Health, 5850 University Ave, Halifax, NS B3K 6R8, Canada
Robyn Harrison: Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alberta, 8440 112 St, Edmonton, AB T5J 3E4, Canada
Samira Mubareka: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
Jeya Nadarajah: Oak Valley Health, 381 Church St, Markham, ON L3P 13P, Canada
Marek Smieja: St. Joseph’s Healthcare, 50 Charlton Ave East, Hamilton, ON L8N 4A6, Canada
Louis Valiquette: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, 2500 Bd de l’université, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
Curtis Cooper: Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 75 Laurier Ave E, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Jeff Powis: Michael Garron Hospital, 825 Coxwell Avenue Toronto, ON M4C 3E7, Canada
Working Group Ccs: Non-author members of the CCS Working Group is provided in the Acknowledgments.
Allison McGeer: Sinai Health, 600 University Ave, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada
Brenda L. Coleman: Sinai Health, 600 University Ave, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 11, 1-11

Abstract: Background: Essential workers, including those working in healthcare and education, are at higher risk of exposure to communicable diseases, including SARS-CoV-2. Reducing the rates of infection is important for their personal health and for the ongoing safe operation of essential services. Methods: Data from participants in two prospective cohort studies who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in 2020 through 2023 were used to determine whether vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 is associated with the severity of symptoms in working-age adults. Results: SARS-CoV-2-positive tests (N = 3757) were reported by 3093 participants (mean: 1.2 per person); 1229 (33%) illnesses did not interfere with regular activities, 1926 (51%) made participants too unwell for regular activities, and 602 (16%) required participant bed rest. Compared with vaccine receipt more than 12 months earlier, receipt within six months of an infection was associated with lower risk ratios for more severe illness (too unwell: 0.69 and bed rest: 0.67) compared with being able to conduct regular activities. More recent vaccination was also associated with lower odds reporting of systemic symptoms (fever, myalgia, arthralgia) and fewer solicited symptoms. Conclusion: Staying current with COVID-19 vaccinations should continue to be recommended since receiving a recent immunization lessened the severity of illness. Also, as symptoms of COVID-19 are now largely similar to other respiratory viruses, practitioners need to use this evidence to inform diagnostic testing and return-to-work policies.

Keywords: COVID-19 vaccines; symptoms; illness; adult; Canada (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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