Introduction and objective: Analysis of factors influencing COVID-19 vaccination coverage in various countries raised the question whether the recent pandemic affected the vaccination rates of other pathogens in adults. Therefore, the aim of this review article was to analyse the literature to find potentially beneficial effects of the introduction of the large-scale vaccinations resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, with regard to the influenza virus, pneumococcal and herpes zoster adult vaccinations, in order to identify factors and strategies to increase the uptake of these vaccines.
Review methods: The review of the literature was based on scientific articles indexed in the PubMed Database published between 2022-2023, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data search was performed from 24-30 July 2023.
Brief description of the state of knowledge: It was found that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a beneficial effect on the acceptance and coverage of influenza and pneumococcal vaccination in the vulnerable elderly populations, and among healthcare workers in the case of influenza. Furthermore, the COVID-19 outbreak affected the designs of vaccine clinical trials, resulting in a lower frequency of age-related exclusion criteria, broadening the group of vaccine recipients.
Summary: Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination increased willingness to accept other vaccines. The attitude to vaccination is a personal decision-making process based on previous experience and interpersonal interactions, greatly affected by information and recommendation from medical professionals. The COVID-19 pandemic vaccination implementation opened new opportunities to develop prevention efforts and build vaccination strategies in middle-income countries.
Keywords: COVID-19; influenza; pandemic; pneumococcus; vaccine.