IMMUNIZATION AGAINST COVID-19 IN SPLIT-DALMATIA COUNTY (SDC) IN THE PERIOD FROM 27th DECEMBER 2020. - 23rd MARCH 2023.

Abstract

Objective: To present the course of COVID-19 vaccination in SDC from 27th December 2020. to 23rd March 2023.

Methods: The collected data were presented using descriptive epidemiological methods from the available databases of the Croatian Institute of Public Health (CIPH) and the Teaching Institute of Public Health of Split-Dalmatia County (TIPH SDC), and were analysed using Microsoft.

Results: According to the data, by the end of February 2023, 59.95% of the population of Croatia has been vaccinated and
77.3% of the distributed vaccines against COVID-19 disease has been administered. “Vaccine coverage in SDC was highest on the islands and lowest on the mainland.” Overall, 40.83% of the County population received the primary vaccine series, mostly Comirnaty. The highest vaccination rate was recorded among the 70-79 years age group and the lowest among the children and the youth.

Conclusion: Vaccination against COVID-19 disease is the most effective measure to prevent severe disease, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. During the pandemic, vaccination coverage in SDC was lower than the national coverage in Croatia. Differences in vaccination coverage among the population of the islands, the coast and the mainland may be influenced by socio-cultural mechanisms that have not yet been investigated. Immunization against COVID-19 disease is particularly important for the elderly, those with chronic diseases, and immunocompromised people, who were most suspectible to poor outcomes from COVID-19. Vaccination
coverage among populations at risk in the SDC was inadequate. To achieve optimal vaccination coverage, especially in the most vulnerable groups, the concise, simple and easily accessible vaccination recommendations are required.