Frequency of SARS-COV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccine uptake and protection among Syrian refugees: COVID-19 Vaccine among Syrian Refugees

Altaş Z. M., Sezerol M. A.

BMC Infectious Diseases, vol.24, no.1, 2024 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 24 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2024
  • Doi Number: 10.1186/s12879-024-09460-4
  • Journal Name: BMC Infectious Diseases
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Veterinary Science Database, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Keywords: COVID-19 infection, Refugee, Syrian, Vaccination, Vaccine effectiveness
  • Istanbul Medipol University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

It is aimed to examine the frequency of COVID-19 disease, the rates of COVID-19 vaccination and the vaccine effectiveness (VE) among Syrian refugees. It is a retrospective cohort study. Syrian refugees aged 18 years and above registered to a family health center in Sultanbeyli district in Istanbul were included. Vaccine effectiveness were calculated for both Pfizer BioN-Tech and CoronaVac (Sinovac) vaccines. The data of 2586 Syrian people was evaluated in the study. The median age of the participants was 34.0 years (min:18.0; max: 90.0). Of the participants 58.4% (n = 1510) were female, 41.6% (n = 1076) were male. In our study of the refugees 15.7% had history of COVID-19 infection. Refugees having full vaccination with Biontech and Sinovac have a significantly lower COVID-19 infection rate than those without vaccination (HR = 8.687; p < 0.001). Adjusted VE for Biontech, Sinovac, and both were 89.2% (95.0% CI:83.3–93.1), 81.2% (95.0% CI:48.72–93.1) and 88.5% (95.0% CI:82.7–92.3), respectively. The results of the study highlight the importance of vaccinations against COVID-19 pandemic, since both vaccines were highly protective in refugees.