Inability to work following COVID-19 vaccination-a relevant aspect for future booster vaccinations

J Reusch; I Wagenhäuser; A Gabel; A Höhn; T-T Lâm; L B Krone; A Frey; A Schubert-Unkmeir; L Dölken; S Frantz; O Kurzai; U Vogel; M Krone; N Petri

doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2023.07.008

Inability to work following COVID-19 vaccination-a relevant aspect for future booster vaccinations

Public Health. 2023 Sep:222:186-195. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2023.07.008. Epub 2023 Aug 8.

Authors

J Reusch¹, I Wagenhäuser¹, A Gabel², A Höhn², T-T Lâm³, L B Krone⁴, A Frey⁵, A Schubert-Unkmeir³, L Dölken⁶, S Frantz⁵, O Kurzai⁷, U Vogel⁸, M Krone⁸, N Petri⁹

Affiliations

¹ Infection Control and Antimicrobial Stewardship Unit, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany; Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.
² Infection Control and Antimicrobial Stewardship Unit, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.
³ Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.
⁴ Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
⁵ Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.
⁶ Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.
⁷ Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany; Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany.
⁸ Infection Control and Antimicrobial Stewardship Unit, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany; Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.
⁹ Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany. Electronic address: petri_n@ukw.de.

PMID: 37562083
DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2023.07.008

Abstract

Objectives: COVID-19 vaccination is a key prevention strategy to reduce the spread and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infections. However, vaccine-related inability to work among healthcare workers (HCWs) could overstrain healthcare systems.

Study design: The study presented was conducted as part of the prospective CoVacSer cohort study.

Methods: This study examined sick leave and intake of pro re nata medication after the first, second, and third COVID-19 vaccination in HCWs. Data were collected by using an electronic questionnaire.

Results: Among 1704 HCWs enrolled, 595 (34.9%) HCWs were on sick leave following at least one COVID-19 vaccination, leading to a total number of 1550 sick days. Both the absolute sick days and the rate of HCWs on sick leave significantly increased with each subsequent vaccination. Comparing BNT162b2mRNA and mRNA-1273, the difference in sick leave was not significant after the second dose, but mRNA-1273 induced a significantly longer and more frequent sick leave after the third.

Conclusion: In the light of further COVID-19 infection waves and booster vaccinations, there is a risk of additional staff shortages due to postvaccination inability to work, which could negatively impact the already strained healthcare system and jeopardise patient care. These findings will aid further vaccination campaigns to minimise the impact of staff absences on the healthcare system.

Keywords: COVID-19 vaccination; Healthcare workers; Inability to work; Sick days.

MeSH terms

2019-nCoV Vaccine mRNA-1273
COVID-19 Vaccines*
COVID-19* / prevention & control
Cohort Studies
Health Personnel
Humans
Prospective Studies
SARS-CoV-2
Vaccination

Substances

COVID-19 Vaccines
2019-nCoV Vaccine mRNA-1273