Clinical and epidemiological profile of COVID-19 cases among vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals in a municipalityin Southwestern Maranhão

Abstract

This study assessed the clinical and epidemiological profile of COVID-19 cases among
vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals in a municipality in the southwest of Maranhão, Brazil.
It is a descriptive, retrospective, quantitative, and observational study. A total of 292 records
from the e-SUS Notifica and Notifica COVID-MA systems, dated between September 2021
and December 2022, were analyzed. The variables included sociodemographic data, place of
residence, type and strategy of testing, symptoms, comorbidities, time between symptom onset
and laboratory testing, as well as vaccine uptake. Most COVID-19 cases occurred in brownskinned women, predominantly in the 30 to 39-year age group. The most frequent symptoms
were cough, fever, sore throat, and headache. Heart disease and diabetes were the most common
comorbidities. The most used test was the rapid antigen test. No significant differences in
symptoms were found between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, and lower vaccination
adherence was observed among men and pregnant women. The study's findings highlight the
clinical-epidemiological profile of cases in the region and reinforce the importance of public
health strategies to increase vaccination coverage and continuous disease monitoring.