Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (Dec 2024)

Real-life experience on COVID-19 and seasonal influenza vaccines co-administration in the vaccination hub of the University Hospital of Palermo, Italy

  • Claudio Costantino,
  • Walter Mazzucco,
  • Arianna Conforto,
  • Livia Cimino,
  • Alessia Pieri,
  • Sara Rusignolo,
  • Nicole Bonaccorso,
  • Floriana Bravatà,
  • Laura Pipitone,
  • Martina Sciortino,
  • Marcello Tocco,
  • Elena Zarcone,
  • Giorgio Graziano,
  • Fabio Tramuto,
  • Carmelo Massimo Maida,
  • Alessandra Casuccio,
  • Francesco Vitale

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2024.2327229
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 20, no. 1

Abstract

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ABSTRACTWith the pandemic, there has been a global reduction in influenza virus circulation, with WHO reporting, during 2021/22 season, laboratory testing positivity rate for influenza of less than 3%. Influenza surveillance systems anticipated a peak of influenza cases in the Northern Hemisphere during 2022/2023 season and the Italian Ministry of Health recommended the routinary co-administration of influenza with bivalent COVID-19 vaccines for the 2022/2023 season. At the Vaccination Hub of the University Hospital (UH) of Palermo, more than 700 subjects received influenza and COVID-19 booster doses in co-administration, during the 2021/2022 season. A cross-sectional study analyzing attitudes and factors associated with adherence to influenza and COVID-19 seasonal vaccines co-administration was conducted at the Vaccination Hub of the UH of Palermo, from October to December 2022. Among the 1,263 respondents, 74.7% (n = 944) received the co-administration of seasonal influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. The main reason reported for accepting it was confidence in the recommendations of the Health Ministry (41.3%). At the multivariable analysis, subjects aged ≤ 59 y old (AdjOR: 2.48; CIs95%: 1.89–3.65), male (AdjOR: 1.51; CIs95%: 1.27–1.75), Health-care professionals (HCPs) (AdjOR: 1.66; CIs95%: 1.08–2.57) and those who received co-administration during 2021/2022 (AdjOR: 41.6; CIs95%: 25.5–67.9) were significantly more prone to receive co-administration during 2022/23 season. From data obtained, the role of HCPs in accepting and then promoting co-administration of COVID-19 and influenza vaccines is crucial, as well as receiving co-administration in the previous season that represented the main drive for accepting it in the following seasons, supporting safety and effectiveness of this procedure.

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