Association of Type of Vaccination Center With Time to Emergency Department Presentation for Acute COVID-19 Infection: An Exploratory Analysis.

Objective The objective of this study was to identify potential associations between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination center reception location and time to presentation to the emergency department for acute COVID-19 infection. The a priori hypothesis was that there are significant differences in the outcome based on vaccination administration center type. Methods This was a cross-sectional, observational study conducted within a hospital in Lakeland, Florida, between October 2021 and May 2022. Participants were at least 18 years old with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS­CoV­2) infection and at least two COVID-19 symptoms at enrollment. Patients with prior confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis and hospitalization within 10 days of screening were excluded. Participants were sampled from within the emergency department of the institution. The primary outcome was time to presentation to the emergency department for acute COVID-19 infection since the last vaccination dose from each sampled COVID-19 vaccination center location. Results A total of 93 participants were analyzed. Of these, 48 (52%) participants received COVID-19 vaccination. Participants vaccinated at vaccine clinics demonstrated a significantly longer mean survival time (288.2 (29.9)) compared to other sites. Significant predictors of hospitalization were age (aOR, 1.09, 95%CI 1.02-1.16, p < 0.01), sex (aOR: 10.05, 95%CI 1.52-66.54, p < 0.05), physical function (aOR, 0.90, 95%CI 0.83-0.97, p < 0.01) and number of medications (aOR, 1.34, 95%CI 1.14-1.58, p < 0.001).  Conclusions This exploratory analysis highlights the need for further investigation into both characteristics of healthcare institutions and individual-level factors that may play a role in the prolonged prevention of emergency department presentations due to COVID-19 infection. Increased transparency of data regarding practices related to the administration of COVID-19 vaccines across various institutions may be beneficial in further understanding the role of COVID-19 vaccinations in preventing symptomatic disease across local and global communities.