Epidemiology of COVID-19 cases and vaccination coverage in Seremban District, Malaysia, 2021

• Published in: Western Pacific Surveillance and Response Journal
• Main Author: Amin K.H.A.K.; Bujang N.N.A.; Abas S.A.; Zulkifli N.I.; Amir S.A.; Shah S.M.; Ganesan V.; Aziz N.F.; Jalaluddin M.A.; Wahil M.S.A.; Hasani M.H.M.; Ali N.K.M.; Yusof M.P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: World Health Organization 2023
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85160741684&doi=10.5365%2fwpsar.2023.14.2.985&partnerID=40&md5=4834d0a292d547b6a18ccb0f226ba1e5

Objective: Malaysia’s first case of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was reported in January 2020, with the first case in the state of Negeri Sembilan diagnosed on 17 February 2020. The National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme commenced in early March 2021 in Negeri Sembilan. This study describes the COVID-19 cases and vaccination coverage in Seremban District, Negeri Sembilan, during 2021. Methods: The demographic and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 cases and the district’s vaccination coverage were described. Vaccination coverage was plotted against COVID-19 cases on the epidemic curve. The chi-square test was used to examine the differences between the vaccination status of COVID-19 cases and severity category, hospitalization status and mortality. Results: In Seremban District, there were 65 879 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 2021. The data revealed that the 21–30-year age group had the highest proportion of cases (16 365; 24.8%), the majority of cases were male (58.3%), and most cases were from the sub-district of Ampangan (23.1%). The majority of cases were Malaysian. Over half (53.5%) were symptomatic, with fever (29.8%) and cough (22.8%) being the most frequently reported symptoms. COVID-19 vaccination status was significantly associated with severity category, hospitalization and mortality (P < 0.001 for all categories). Discussion: This is the first study to describe two-dose vaccination coverage and the trend in COVID-19 cases in Seremban District. It was observed that COVID-19 cases had been reduced following more than 60.0% vaccination coverage. © 2023, World Health Organization. All rights reserved.