Workplace Vaccination Against COVID-19 and Seasonal Influenza in the United States: A Modeling-Based Estimation of the Health and Economic Benefits for Employers and Employees

Ekkehard Beck; Keya Joshi; Darshan Mehta; Stephane Lorenc; Bishoy Rizkalla; Nicolas Van de Velde

doi:10.3390/jmahp13020017

Workplace Vaccination Against COVID-19 and Seasonal Influenza in the United States: A Modeling-Based Estimation of the Health and Economic Benefits for Employers and Employees

J Mark Access Health Policy. 2025 Apr 24;13(2):17. doi: 10.3390/jmahp13020017. eCollection 2025 Jun.

Authors

Ekkehard Beck¹, Keya Joshi¹, Darshan Mehta¹, Stephane Lorenc², Bishoy Rizkalla¹, Nicolas Van de Velde¹

Affiliations

¹ Moderna, Inc., 325 Binney St, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
² EREVAS Sàrl, 29 Boulevard du Prince Henri, Luxembourg L-1724, Luxembourg.

Abstract

The objectives were to assess the economic burden of COVID-19 and impact of workplace COVID-19 vaccination in the United States (US). An economic model estimated COVID-19 workplace burden (infections, long COVID, inpatient/outpatient care, absent days) with and without vaccination, compared with seasonal influenza vaccination for context, using Optum's de-identified Clinformatics^® Data Mart Database. Without workplace vaccination, an average US business (with 10,000 employees), had 18,175 absent days from COVID-19 and lost productivity costs of USD 5.08 million. Implementing COVID-19 workplace vaccination (at 70% coverage) prevented approximately 3132 absent days, saving employers USD 876,453 (lost productivity) and USD 240,633 (medical costs); and saving employees USD 182,196 (medical costs) and USD 198,250 (lost wages) versus no COVID-19 workplace vaccination. The burden and vaccination impact were greater for COVID-19 versus seasonal influenza. Workplace vaccination for COVID-19 and seasonal influenza can have a significant impact for both the employer and employees through averted disease.

Keywords: COVID-19; United States; economic model; influenza; vaccination; workplace.