Assessing SARS-CoV-2 vaccine effectiveness in health workers: a cohort study conducted during the pandemic decline phase in five hospitals, affiliated to Al-Azhar University- Egypt
This study indicates that VE against symptomatic lab-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection was quite high with over 60% protection and was higher among HWs with hybrid immunity (immunity due to a combination of previous infection and vaccination) compared to unvaccinated HWs with previous COVID-19 infection. The findings also highlight the importance of completing the primary vaccination series against COVID-19. This study reveals a high rate of asymptomatic COVID-19, a lower rate of confirmed cases, who showed marked decrease in hospitalization and fatality rates. Real-world VE studies are essential to address several unresolved issues, such as the appropriate number of booster doses and the longevity of protection.
Authors
- Ahmed S. Kadah (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9744-9506)
- Naglaa A. Elgendy
- Neamat A. Abdelmageed (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5771-5283)
- Alshaimaa Eid (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4753-9826)
- Rehan M. Saleh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3693-4211)
- Hazem M. El-Hariri (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9886-2087)
- Mustafa Ahmed Haridy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9372-1856)
- Walaa Mohamed Omar Ashry (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1651-7453)
- Aya Ghamry
- Asmaa M El-Nasser
- Safwat Salama Sawy
- Mehrnaz Kheirandish (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5320-6481)
- Arash Rashidian
- Mahmoud Seddik
- Fathiya El‐Raey (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5191-2278)
- Sherif A. Shazly (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1062-9227)
- Eman Elshemy
- Zahra Karimian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6089-8471)
- Areej Rushdi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8356-3551)
- Ahmed M. Ghazy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7890-4080)
- Dalia M. Elmosalami (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4881-2916)
- Zeinab Nabil Ahmed Said (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9788-9058)
- Suhaila Mohammed (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9530-2487)
- Mohamed A. Shaheen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9156-8827)
- Mohamed Mousa Heggazy
- Iman I. Salama (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8901-4625)
- Ahmet Alim
- Somaia I Salama (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8013-2342)
- Samy Zaky (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4123-9221)
- Omran Mohamed Abdelmola
- Doaa E. Ahmed
- Arwa Kamhawy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6631-8666)
- Ghada A. Elshaarawy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7165-0594)
- Sherif E. Eldeeb
- Emad Abdelrazzak
- A. El-Shafei (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3124-2120)
- Atef Elrifai
- Amro M. Hassan
- Kamal Fahmy
- Ahmed Q. Mohammed
- Khaled A. Eid
- Ahmed E. Ahmed
- Badawy W Abobakr
- Amagd A Elzahaby
- Ibrahim Metwally Bayoumy
- Shaaban Salah El azhary
Institutions
- Al-Azhar University (EG)
- Heidelberg University (DE)
- University Hospital Heidelberg (DE)
- World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EG)
- National Research Centre (EG)
- Al Azhar University (QA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- BMC Infectious Diseases
- Published
- 2025-09-26
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-025-11446-9
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.40
Funders
- World Health Organization
- Science and Technology Development Fund