Impact of COVID-19 Vaccines on Patients, Health Systems

The US health care industry has seen a significant uptick in the incidence of respiratory illnesses since the arrival of fall and winter.

In this interview, Dr Anita Patel reviews the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and the recently updated booster. She also emphasizes the importance of vaccinating patients for both flu and COVID-19 to reduce the likelihood of severe illness and hospitalization over the winter.

Thus far, how have COVID-19 vaccines impacted patient outcomes and health systems more generally?

Vaccines have played an important role in protecting the health and safety of communities and nations throughout history. COVID-19 vaccines have been effective at decreasing transmission and spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and reducing hospitalizations and deaths among those infected. They continue to be a crucial public health tool for combatting the virus and keeping hospitals from becoming overrun as they were at the beginning of the pandemic.

The impact of COVID-19 vaccines on patient outcomes goes beyond lives saved. Vaccines have protected individuals and communities, allowing for patients to continue daily activities as they did prior to the pandemic, such as gathering with friends and family without the fear of getting severely sick, going back to an office or school, attending events, as well as utilizing general health services again, which may have been suspended due to the pandemic.

Can you review the safety and efficacy of the recently updated bivalent booster?

We know from data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and continue to provide strong protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death in adults. In a CDC study published in September, the primary series plus booster dose was significantly more effective in preventing hospitalization for COVID-19 across all adults age groups (64% for primary series plus booster vs 36% for primary series alone), including those with weakened immune systems, when the Omicron variant was widely circulating.

It's important to note that COVID-19 vaccines were evaluated in tens of thousands of participants in clinical trials and studies following the use of the first authorized vaccines. In the United States alone, more than 650 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered from December 14, 2020, through November 16, 2022.

While some side effects have been reported, as is possible with all vaccinations and medications, serious side effects are rare following any vaccination, including COVID-19 vaccination. The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination, including the updated bivalent booster, outweigh the known and potential risks, especially in high-risk population groups.

What should providers keep in mind when talking to patients about COVID-19 vaccines as we enter the winter?

Vaccine hesitancy and fatigue continue to be pervasive and can be caused by factors like mistrust, disinformation, and mixed public health messaging. However, with other respiratory illnesses circulating this winter and the rise in flu activity, it’s more important than ever to get vaccinated for COVID-19 and flu. Vaccination is the number one preventive measure to help lessen the severity of disease and prevent hospitalizations and death for both COVID-19 and flu.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Pharmacies play an important role in keeping people vaccinated and reducing community spread of respiratory illnesses. According to the CDC, 2 of 3 vaccinations take place in a pharmacy. Our pharmacists are playing a greater role in health care than ever before, and we believe the pharmacy—often the first stop and last mile in health care delivery—can be even more instrumental in helping to solve the challenges facing our health care system and patients today. Pharmacies can be a trusted resource for health care services across the communities they serve.

We encourage patients to reach out to their local pharmacist with any questions around vaccination or to schedule their appointment.

About Dr Patel

Anita Patel, PharmD, is the vice president of pharmacy service development at Walgreens, where she is responsible for growth and innovation on the health care side of Walgreens. She also oversees Walgreens’s COVID-19 strategy including vaccines, data and analytics, and testing.

Prior to joining Walgreens, Dr Patel worked at the CDC, where she led the COVID-19 response and vaccine distribution across the country and supported seasonal influenza efforts by ensuring access to vaccines and medications.