Unknown

Dataset Information

0

Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine to reduce healthcare worker absenteeism in COVID-19 pandemic, a randomized controlled trial.


ABSTRACT:

Objectives

The COVID-19 pandemic increases healthcare worker (HCW) absenteeism. The bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine may provide non-specific protection against respiratory infections through enhancement of trained immunity. We investigated the impact of BCG vaccination on HCW absenteeism during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

HCWs exposed to COVID-19 patients in nine Dutch hospitals were randomized to BCG vaccine or placebo in a 1:1 ratio, and followed for one year using a mobile phone application. The primary endpoint was the self-reported number of days of unplanned absenteeism for any reason. Secondary endpoints included documented COVID-19, acute respiratory symptoms or fever. This was an investigator-funded study, registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03987919).

Results

In March/April 2020, 1511 HCWs were enrolled. The median duration of follow-up was 357 person-days (interquartile range [IQR], 351 to 361). Unplanned absenteeism for any reason was observed in 2.8% of planned working days in the BCG group and 2.7% in the placebo group (adjusted relative risk 0.94; 95% credible interval, 0.78-1.15). Cumulative incidences of documented COVID-19 were 14.2% in the BCG and 15.2% in the placebo group (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 0.94; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.72-1.24). First episodes of self-reported acute respiratory symptoms or fever occurred in 490 (66.2%) and 443 (60.2%) participants, respectively (aHR: 1.13; 95% CI, 0.99-1.28). Thirty-one serious adverse events were reported (13 after BCG, 18 after placebo), none considered related to study medication.

Conclusions

During the COVID-19 pandemic, BCG-vaccination of HCW exposed to COVID-19 patients did not reduce unplanned absenteeism nor documented COVID-19.

SUBMITTER: Ten Doesschate T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9046133 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

altmetric image

Publications

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine to reduce healthcare worker absenteeism in COVID-19 pandemic, a randomized controlled trial.

Ten Doesschate Thijs T   van der Vaart Thomas W TW   Debisarun Priya A PA   Taks Esther E   Moorlag Simone J C F M SJCFM   Paternotte Nienke N   Boersma Wim G WG   Kuiper Vincent P VP   Roukens Anna H E AHE   Rijnders Bart J A BJA   Voss Andreas A   Veerman Karin M KM   Kerckhoffs Angele P M APM   Oever Jaap Ten JT   van Crevel Reinout R   van Nieuwkoop Cees C   Lalmohamed Arief A   van de Wijgert Janneke H H M JHHM   Netea Mihai G MG   Bonten Marc J M MJM   van Werkhoven Cornelis H CH  

Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases 20220428 9


<h4>Objectives</h4>The COVID-19 pandemic increases healthcare worker (HCW) absenteeism. The bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine may provide non-specific protection against respiratory infections through enhancement of trained immunity. We investigated the impact of BCG vaccination on HCW absenteeism during the COVID-19 pandemic.<h4>Methods</h4>HCWs exposed to COVID-19 patients in nine Dutch hospitals were randomized to BCG vaccine or placebo in a 1:1 ratio, and followed for one year using a m  ...[more]

Similar Datasets

| S-EPMC7921379 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC7564904 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC7835355 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC9320669 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC7273375 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC9543886 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC3127204 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC7212995 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC4137267 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC11307101 | biostudies-literature