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TOPLINE:
Among US veterans, same-day receipt of both the 2024-2025 COVID19 vaccine and the influenza vaccine was associated with lower risks for emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths compared with receipt of the influenza vaccine alone.
METHODOLOGY:
- Researchers conducted an observational study to assess the effectiveness of the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine by comparing veterans who received both the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines on the same day with those who received only the influenza vaccine between September 3 and December 31, 2024.
- Data on participants (mean age, approximately 71.5 years; approximately 92% men) were sourced from electronic health records of the Department of Veterans Affairs and included 164,132 veterans who received both vaccines vs 131,839 who received only the seasonal influenza vaccine, with a follow-up duration of 180 days.
- The vaccines used were mainly the 2024-2025 mRNA COVID19 vaccines: Moderna mRNA1273, Pfizer BNT162b2, and the highdose trivalent 2024-2025 seasonal influenza vaccine.
- Primary outcomes were COVID-19-associated emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths.
TAKEAWAY:
- Receipt of both the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines was associated with a lower risk for COVID-19-associated emergency department visits compared with receipt of the influenza vaccine alone, resulting in a vaccine effectiveness of 29.3% and a risk difference of 18.3 per 10,000 persons (95% CI, 10.8-27.6).
- Similarly, COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness was 39.2% (95% CI, 21.6-54.5) against COVID-19-associated hospitalizations, with a risk difference of 7.5 per 10,000 persons (95% CI, 3.4-13.0).
- For COVID-19-associated deaths, vaccine effectiveness was 64% (95% CI, 23.0-85.8), with a risk difference of 2.2 per 10,000 persons (95% CI, 0.5-6.9).
- Benefits were consistent across age groups (< 65, 65-75, and > 75 years) and among people with various comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease and immunocompromised status.
IN PRACTICE:
“The evidence may help inform ongoing discussions about the value of COVID-19 vaccines in the current epidemiologic landscape,” the authors wrote.
SOURCE:
The study was led by Miao Cai, PhD , Research and Development Service, Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System, and the Veterans Research and Education Foundation of St. Louis, Missouri. It was published online in The New England Journal of Medicine .
LIMITATIONS:
The demographic composition of the cohort — predominantly older, White, male veterans — may limit the generalizability of the study. Although numerous covariates were adjusted for, residual confounding could not be fully ruled out. Safety and variantspecific effectiveness were not assessed.
DISCLOSURES:
The study was supported by a grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Two authors disclosed consulting for Pfizer.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication. A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
TOPLINE:
Among US veterans, same-day receipt of both the 2024-2025 COVID19 vaccine and the influenza vaccine was associated with lower risks for emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths compared with receipt of the influenza vaccine alone.
METHODOLOGY:
- Researchers conducted an observational study to assess the effectiveness of the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine by comparing veterans who received both the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines on the same day with those who received only the influenza vaccine between September 3 and December 31, 2024.
- Data on participants (mean age, approximately 71.5 years; approximately 92% men) were sourced from electronic health records of the Department of Veterans Affairs and included 164,132 veterans who received both vaccines vs 131,839 who received only the seasonal influenza vaccine, with a follow-up duration of 180 days.
- The vaccines used were mainly the 2024-2025 mRNA COVID19 vaccines: Moderna mRNA1273, Pfizer BNT162b2, and the highdose trivalent 2024-2025 seasonal influenza vaccine.
- Primary outcomes were COVID-19-associated emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths.
TAKEAWAY:
- Receipt of both the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines was associated with a lower risk for COVID-19-associated emergency department visits compared with receipt of the influenza vaccine alone, resulting in a vaccine effectiveness of 29.3% and a risk difference of 18.3 per 10,000 persons (95% CI, 10.8-27.6).
- Similarly, COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness was 39.2% (95% CI, 21.6-54.5) against COVID-19-associated hospitalizations, with a risk difference of 7.5 per 10,000 persons (95% CI, 3.4-13.0).
- For COVID-19-associated deaths, vaccine effectiveness was 64% (95% CI, 23.0-85.8), with a risk difference of 2.2 per 10,000 persons (95% CI, 0.5-6.9).
- Benefits were consistent across age groups (< 65, 65-75, and > 75 years) and among people with various comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease and immunocompromised status.
IN PRACTICE:
“The evidence may help inform ongoing discussions about the value of COVID-19 vaccines in the current epidemiologic landscape,” the authors wrote.
SOURCE:
The study was led by Miao Cai, PhD , Research and Development Service, Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System, and the Veterans Research and Education Foundation of St. Louis, Missouri. It was published online in The New England Journal of Medicine .
LIMITATIONS:
The demographic composition of the cohort — predominantly older, White, male veterans — may limit the generalizability of the study. Although numerous covariates were adjusted for, residual confounding could not be fully ruled out. Safety and variantspecific effectiveness were not assessed.
DISCLOSURES:
The study was supported by a grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Two authors disclosed consulting for Pfizer.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication. A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
TOPLINE:
Among US veterans, same-day receipt of both the 2024-2025 COVID19 vaccine and the influenza vaccine was associated with lower risks for emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths compared with receipt of the influenza vaccine alone.
METHODOLOGY:
- Researchers conducted an observational study to assess the effectiveness of the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine by comparing veterans who received both the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines on the same day with those who received only the influenza vaccine between September 3 and December 31, 2024.
- Data on participants (mean age, approximately 71.5 years; approximately 92% men) were sourced from electronic health records of the Department of Veterans Affairs and included 164,132 veterans who received both vaccines vs 131,839 who received only the seasonal influenza vaccine, with a follow-up duration of 180 days.
- The vaccines used were mainly the 2024-2025 mRNA COVID19 vaccines: Moderna mRNA1273, Pfizer BNT162b2, and the highdose trivalent 2024-2025 seasonal influenza vaccine.
- Primary outcomes were COVID-19-associated emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths.
TAKEAWAY:
- Receipt of both the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines was associated with a lower risk for COVID-19-associated emergency department visits compared with receipt of the influenza vaccine alone, resulting in a vaccine effectiveness of 29.3% and a risk difference of 18.3 per 10,000 persons (95% CI, 10.8-27.6).
- Similarly, COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness was 39.2% (95% CI, 21.6-54.5) against COVID-19-associated hospitalizations, with a risk difference of 7.5 per 10,000 persons (95% CI, 3.4-13.0).
- For COVID-19-associated deaths, vaccine effectiveness was 64% (95% CI, 23.0-85.8), with a risk difference of 2.2 per 10,000 persons (95% CI, 0.5-6.9).
- Benefits were consistent across age groups (< 65, 65-75, and > 75 years) and among people with various comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease and immunocompromised status.
IN PRACTICE:
“The evidence may help inform ongoing discussions about the value of COVID-19 vaccines in the current epidemiologic landscape,” the authors wrote.
SOURCE:
The study was led by Miao Cai, PhD , Research and Development Service, Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System, and the Veterans Research and Education Foundation of St. Louis, Missouri. It was published online in The New England Journal of Medicine .
LIMITATIONS:
The demographic composition of the cohort — predominantly older, White, male veterans — may limit the generalizability of the study. Although numerous covariates were adjusted for, residual confounding could not be fully ruled out. Safety and variantspecific effectiveness were not assessed.
DISCLOSURES:
The study was supported by a grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Two authors disclosed consulting for Pfizer.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication. A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.