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. 2022 May 20;40(23):3174-3181.
doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.04.046. Epub 2022 Apr 18.

Impact of COVID-19 vaccine-associated side effects on health care worker absenteeism and future booster vaccination

Ara A Chrissian  1 , Udochukwu E Oyoyo  2 , Pranjal Patel  3 , W Lawrence Beeson  4 , Lawrence K Loo  5 , Shahriyar Tavakoli  6 , Alex Dubov  7
Affiliations

Impact of COVID-19 vaccine-associated side effects on health care worker absenteeism and future booster vaccination

Ara A Chrissian et al. Vaccine. .

Abstract

Background: Short-term side effects related to mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are frequent and bothersome, with the potential to disrupt work duties and impact future vaccine decision-making.

Objective: To identify factors more likely to lead to vaccine-associated work disruption, employee absenteeism, and future vaccine reluctance among healthcare workers (HCWs).

Hypothesis: Side effects related to COVID vaccination: 1- frequently disrupt HCW duties, 2- result in a significant proportion of HCW absenteeism, 3- contribute to uncertainty about future booster vaccination, 4- vary based on certain demographic, socioeconomic, occupational, and vaccine-related factors.

Methods: Using an anonymous, voluntary electronic survey, we obtained responses from a large, heterogeneous sample of COVID-19-vaccinated HCWs in two healthcare systems in Southern California. Descriptive statistics and regression models were utilized to evaluate the research questions.

Results: Among 2,103 vaccinated HCWs, 579 (27.5%) reported that vaccine-related symptoms disrupted their professional responsibilities, and 380 (18.1%) missed work as a result. Independent predictors for absenteeism included experiencing generalized and work-disruptive symptoms, and receiving the Moderna vaccine [OR = 1.77 (95% CI = 1.33 - 2.36), p < 0.001]. Physicians were less likely to miss work due to side effects (6.7% vs 21.2% for all other HCWs, p < 0.001). Independent predictors of reluctance toward future booster vaccination included lower education level, younger age, having received the Moderna vaccine, and missing work due to vaccine-related symptoms.

Conclusion: Symptoms related to mRNA vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2 may frequently disrupt work duties, lead to absenteeism, and impact future vaccine decision-making. This may be more common in Moderna recipients and less likely among physicians. Accordingly, health employers should schedule future booster vaccination cycles to minimize loss of work productivity.

Keywords: Absenteeism; Booster; COVID-19; Healthcare worker; Hesitancy; Side-effects; Vaccine.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Frequency of reported reasons for reluctance toward future booster vaccination in health care workers who missed work due to vaccine-related symptoms, compared to those who did not miss work. Group comparisons were evaluated using chi-square analysis; * p = 0.02; ** p < 0.001.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Frequency (%) of impactful effects related to vaccine-associated symptoms, by vaccine type. Group comparisons were evaluated using chi-square analysis; * p < 0.001.
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