A brand new research in Albania brings recent proof that the COVID-19 vaccine booster gives glorious safety towards SARS-CoV-2 an infection in health-care employees.

The research was performed by the Albanian Institute of Public Health, the Southeast European Center for Surveillance and Control of Infectious Diseases, the WHO Regional Office for Europe, and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with assist from the Task Force for Global Health, and revealed this week in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. It discovered that well being employees who obtained a COVID-19 booster in the course of the Omicron wave had been 88% much less prone to turn out to be in poor health with COVID-19 than unvaccinated well being employees.

Conducted amongst almost 1500 well being employees in 3 hospitals from January to May 2022 (a interval when Omicron circulated extensively in Albania), the research gives real-world proof on the COVID-19 vaccine booster’s effectiveness – proof that has been missing in low- and middle-income international locations worldwide, together with within the WHO European Region.

“With COVID-19 infections on the rise again in Albania and globally, the study’s findings are an important reminder that vaccines remain the best way to protect against COVID-19,” stated Silvia Bino, the research’s senior writer and Head of the Infectious Disease Control Department of Albania’s Institute of Public Health.

“We encourage all health workers as well as other vulnerable populations to come forward and accept offers of the COVID-19 vaccine and the influenza vaccine this autumn and winter. By staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and getting the seasonal influenza vaccine, vulnerable populations can considerably reduce their risk of falling ill or being hospitalized from COVID-19 and influenza,” added Bino.

COVID-19 and seasonal influenza vaccine uptake is crucial

Bino’s name comes at a time when COVID-19 vaccine booster uptake stays low in Albania and different international locations within the Balkans and throughout the WHO European Region, which covers 53 international locations in Europe and central Asia.

WHO recommends that front-line well being employees obtain a COVID-19 booster 12 months after the final. In addition, WHO recommends that different high-priority teams – together with older folks and other people with underlying medical situations – obtain a COVID-19 booster after a COVID-19 vaccine dose, relying on age and power situations and consistent with native suggestions.

As of September 2023, solely 20% of Albania’s well being employees had been updated with their COVID-19 vaccination and most of these booster doses had been obtained nicely over a 12 months in the past. This low booster dose uptake has occurred regardless of the Albanian Ministry of Health and Social Protection’s suggestions that every one well being employees obtain a COVID-19 vaccine booster in 2023. In distinction, major vaccine collection uptake was excessive (83%) amongst well being employees.

“Improving the COVID-19 vaccine booster and influenza vaccine uptake among health workers is not only critical for health workers and their patients’ health. It also helps to ensure a well-functioning and strong health system that can better withstand increased pressure this autumn and winter, and ultimately, better care for people whose health is on the line,” stated Albana Fico, head of the University Hospital Centre in Tirana, who labored on the research.

“While the study measured the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine booster against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, and not more severe outcomes, other studies have consistently found that COVID-19 booster doses save lives and protect against severe disease,” stated Iris Finci, epidemiologist at WHO/Europe and lead writer of the research.

The research’s findings assist the Albanian Ministry of Health and Social Protection’s suggestion that every one well being employees ought to obtain a COVID-19 booster dose each 12 months.

Albania has already began its COVID-19 vaccine booster marketing campaign this autumn. Health employees and different susceptible teams can get their influenza vaccine as of 15 October.

“The health authorities in Albania have been doing a great job over the years boosting influenza vaccine uptake among vulnerable populations. This year, WHO in Albania will continue to support their efforts to protect the most vulnerable against both COVID-19 and influenza,” stated Geraldine McWeeney, WHO Representative in Albania.

Albania is a part of a WHO/Europe and European Union joint mission on strengthening well being methods resilience within the western Balkans, which incorporates assist for strengthening each COVID-19 vaccination uptake and nationwide immunization programmes.

Boosting vaccination uptake throughout the WHO European Region as an entire

Across the WHO European Region, COVID-19 continues to trigger infections, hospitalizations and deaths, and new variants proceed to flow into.

It can also be doubtless that influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID-19 will flow into on the identical time once more this autumn and winter, which may result in elevated threat of infections and extreme illness amongst susceptible populations, and will put extra stress on well being companies.

Moreover, the uptake of current COVID-19 vaccine booster doses and the influenza vaccine amongst susceptible populations varies significantly throughout the Region, and stays concerningly low in lots of international locations.

To assist enhance vaccination uptake towards COVID-19 and influenza, on 9 October 2023, in the course of the European Flu Awareness Week, WHO/Europe launched a Region-wide marketing campaign titled “Keeping safe from COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) this autumn and winter. Protecting lives. Strengthening health systems”.

Dr Marc-Alain Widdowson, who leads the High-threat Pathogen crew and the Surveillance and Laboratory pillar of the COVID-19 Incident Support Management Team at WHO/Europe, emphasised, “Our message is simple: Don’t leave your health to chance. If you’re a health worker, older person, pregnant, or suffering from underlying health conditions, the best thing you can do to protect your health is to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and influenza. It’s as simple as that, and a message worth repeating time and time again.”