COVID-19 vaccination and use of antibiotics in COVID-19 patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Vaccinations are considered one of the most effective medical interventions. Among other benefits, certain vaccinations help reduce antimicrobial resistance by decreasing antibiotic use. Considering reports of increased antimicrobial resistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study aimed to explore the relationship between COVID-19 vaccination status and antibiotic use in COVID-19 patients.

Methods

A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Google Scholar between January 1, 2021, and November 6, 2024. The included studies were assessed for risk of bias using the Newcastle-Ottawa tool. Narrative synthesis and random-effects meta-analysis were employed to synthesize the evidence.

Results

Eight studies were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis (134,022 participants). COVID-19 vaccination was significantly associated with a 34% reduction in the odds of antibiotic use (OR: 0.662; 95% CI: 0.540–0.811) in COVID-19 patients. These findings were supported by the sensitivity analyses. In the subgroup analysis, a significant negative association was observed between COVID-19 vaccination and antibiotic use among COVID-19 patients across all study designs. A major limitation of this study is that most of the included studies did not adjust for confounders.

Conclusions

COVID-19 vaccination was associated with a significant reduction in antibiotic use among COVID-19 patients. COVID-19 vaccination status may have influenced healthcare providers' decisions regarding antibiotic use in this group. Further large-scale cohort studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Other

The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO (ID: CRD42023449625). No funding was provided for this study. The APCs were covered by the Karolinska Institute.