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. 2022 Feb 1;5(2):e2146175.
doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.46175.

Prevalence of Common Infectious Diseases After COVID-19 Vaccination and Easing of Pandemic Restrictions in Israel

Shimon Amar  1   2 , Yonat Shemer Avni  3 , Norm O'Rourke  4 , Tal Michael  5
Affiliations

Prevalence of Common Infectious Diseases After COVID-19 Vaccination and Easing of Pandemic Restrictions in Israel

Shimon Amar et al. JAMA Netw Open. .

Abstract

Importance: Social restrictions intended to limit the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 may have also been associated with decreased rates of other communicable diseases. Evidence suggests that infection incidence rates (IRs) are rebounding after easing of social restrictions (eg, mask mandates). The reemergence of infectious disease complicates efforts to manage the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: To examine IRs of frequently occurring infectious diseases after a successful SARS-CoV-2 vaccination campaign in Israel and cessation of social restrictions.

Design, setting, and participants: This cross-sectional study was conducted using records for respiratory and gastrointestinal infectious diseases at 209 community clinics in southern Israel from 2017 to 2021. Included patients attended community clinics from January 1, 2017, to June 30, 2021.

Exposures: Incidence of infectious diseases was estimated in the first 3 months after the easing of social restrictions (ie, April-June 2021) across age groups.

Main outcomes and measures: Age-specific and disease-specific weekly IRs per 100 000 population for April to June were compared between 2017 and 2021 and expected current IR was estimated using segmented linear regression. Growth rates of respiratory infections across years and weekly diagnoses detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction testing were also compared.

Results: Among 386 711 patients with a total of 1 221 568 visits to community clinics, the mean (SD) age was 27.29 (23.93) years, and there were 202 494 (52.3%) male patients and 184 217 (47.7%) female patients. Children aged 0 to 3 years had significantly increased rates of respiratory and gastrointestinal infection diagnoses (IR ratio, 2.64; 95% CI, 2:30-2.91; P < .001). In addition, incidence of non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory infections were significantly increased across age groups (IR ratio, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.56-1.94; P < .001).

Conclusions and relevance: These morbidity trends observed in Israel suggest that similar trends could occur in coming months in other countries after easing of COVID-19-related restrictions, particularly with the ongoing challenges of SARS-CoV-2 variants.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Timeline of Social and Behavioral Restrictions and Easing, 2020 to 2021
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. Weekly Infection Incidence Change vs Expected Incidence by Age Group
Weekly change in infection incidence for upper and lower respiratory and gastrointestinal disease is given vs expected values based on data since 2017.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.. Observed Infectious Rates vs 2017 to 2019 by Age Group
Incidence rate ratio (IRR) is presented for observed infectious rates from April to June 2021 vs weekly means from the same periods in 2017 to 2019.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.. Respiratory Infectious Disease Growth Rates by Season and Age Group
Growth rates for respiratory infectious diseases are presented by age group for winter (ie, November-January) and summer (ie, April-June) in 2018 to 2021.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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