To combat the COVID-19 pandemic, a mass vaccination campaign was initiated in Italy on 27 December 2020. The vaccine available to immunize Italian healthcare workers (HCWs) was the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Comirnaty). This study evaluated the effectiveness of the vaccine against documented SARS-CoV-2 infection and symptomatic diseases in the medium- to long-term. HCWs at Bari Policlinico University-Hospital (Italy) who completed the vaccination schedule were matched with HCWs who had refused vaccination; the two groups were followed-up for 5 months (January–May 2021). Vaccine effectiveness (VE) against infection was 97.7% (95.4–99.0%) at 14–34 days after the first dose, and 94.8% (87.0–97.8%), 83.0% (65.0–92.0%), and 81.0% (42.0–94.0%) at 14–41, 42–69, and >69 days, respectively, after the second dose. The estimated VE for documented symptomatic disease was 99.2% (96.4–99.8%) at 14–34 days after the first dose and 97.2% (90.3–99.2%), 85.0% (63.0–94.2%), and 88.0% (42.0–97.6%) at 14–41, 42–69, and >69 days, respectively, after the second dose. Efforts to increase vaccination rates should be strengthened, including mandatory vaccination for HCWs and greater incentives to increase vaccine acceptance by the general population.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, Healthcare workers, vaccine effectiveness, documented infection, 【초록키워드】 Vaccine, COVID-19 vaccine, vaccination, SARS-COV-2 infection, COVID-19 pandemic, Infection, Italy, healthcare worker, HCWs, Effectiveness, General population, BNT162b2 mRNA, HCW, second dose, medium, first dose, symptomatic disease, vaccination rate, vaccination schedule, Italian, greater, evaluated, initiated, immunize, two group, the vaccine, mandatory, 【제목키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, prevention, BNT162b2 mRNA,