OHW 106 - Bivalent 2022-2023 SARS-CoV-2 booster uptake is high among healthcare workers at a comprehensive cancer center

Background: Vaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers (HCWs) is an ongoing concern, with reported SARS-CoV-2 booster uptake at 20% in general healthcare facilities. This study aims to characterize the uptake of bivalent SARS-CoV-2 boosters among employees at a comprehensive cancer center who care for patients at high-risk for COVID-19 related complications.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study used employee health databases for clinical cancer center staff for 9/2022-12/2022. Primary series SARS-CoV-2 vaccination was mandatory for HCW during this time, but boosters were not required. We analyzed employee vaccination status for influenza, bivalent SARS-CoV-2 and history of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Results: Among clinical employees (n=2,284), bivalent booster uptake as of 12/2022 was 69.7%. Declinations were completed by 9.6% (n=219), 0.3% (n=7) were exempt, and the remainder had incomplete data. Preliminary influenza vaccination uptake was 78.8%.
Among all employees (clinical and non-clinical; n=5,905), 66% received both a bivalent booster and a flu vaccine, 9% received neither vaccine, 21% received only a flu vaccine, and 3% received only the bivalent booster. Among employees who received both influenza and Covid vaccines, 65.9% were vaccinated on the same day, while 34.1% were vaccinated on different dates.

Conclusions: Uptake of the bivalent 2022-23 SARS-CoV-2 booster was much higher at our cancer center than has been reported among healthcare workers nationally. However, despite a policy mandating a primary SARS-CoV-2 vaccination series for healthcare workers, nearly 1/3 did not receive a bivalent booster. During the fall vaccination campaign, a significant portion of employees who received a flu shot did not receive a bivalent SARS-CoV-2 booster. Despite higher overall uptake, these data suggest heightened vaccine hesitancy for COVID-19 vaccines among HCWs.