Vaccine Coverage for COVID-19 and its Impact on Mortality in a Northeastern Brazilian State

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges, not only in uncovering the determinants of disease progression and in search for effective therapies, but also in the rapid development of safe and effective immunizers. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate COVID-19 vaccine coverage and its relationship with mortality indicators among adolescent, adult, and elderly populations in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. Methodology: An ecological study was conducted, analyzing vaccination data from the state of Rio Grande do Norte acquired from the e-SUS Epidemiological Surveillance system, covering the period from January 2021 to March 2022. While Microsoft Excel was used for data aggregation, the JoinPoint software was employed to perform a simple linear regression, which helped analyze trends in vaccine uptake across various priority groups. Results: The study revealed that the state's average vaccine coverage during the study period was 81.8%. The vaccination strategy, which prioritized a rollout in descending order by age, proved effective. This approach contributed to heightened initial adherence, especially at the start of each new age-based vaccination phase. Conclusions: As a result, although the state's coverage during the period under review was below the desired national average, a positive impact was evident. A reduction in mortality was observed, indicating a clear association with the vaccination efforts carried out during that timeframe.

Keywords: Vaccines, COVID-19, Immunization Programs.