Introduction:
Vaccination is likely to be the final solution to stop the COVID-19 pandemic which has been considered as a global public health emergency. Influenza and corona viruses have previously demonstrated antigenic cross-reactivity.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study was aimed to evaluate the transmission rate and the severity of corona virus infection among health care workers with history of previous influenza vaccination. Subjects of the study were asked about their demographics, influenza vaccination history prior to pandemic, infection with Covid-19 and the severity parameters of the disease.
Results:
Influenza vaccination has no correlation in the prevalence ofCovid-19 infection rate nor in the severity of the disease process among those who received flu vaccines and those who were not vaccinated. Vaccinated and unvaccinated subjects were equal in terms of sex, age and comorbidities.
Asthma has not demonstrated to contribute to the severity of the disease.
Conclusion:
Influenza vaccination, regardless of the evidence on its antigenic cross reactivity with corona virus, is not associated with lesser involvement by or any contribution to the severity of the 2019 novel SARS-COV2 disease.