Effectiveness of BNT162b2 Vaccine against Omicron Variant in South Africa
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The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has an increased capacity to escape immunity and cause reinfections or breakthrough infections.
“has an increased capacity to escape immunity and cause reinfections or breakthrough infections.2 3”
From Protection of the third-dose and fourth-dose mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariant: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2023) · cites this paper as [3]
The paper’s opening paragraph reports evidence that Omicron escaped antibody neutralization by the BNT162b2 vaccine, and its results show lower vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization during the Omicron proxy period. It does not establish that Omicron causes reinfections or breakthrough infections generally; reinfection appears only in a reference title, and the study’s outcome was hospitalization. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredA booster dose improved vaccine effectiveness over the primary series against all BA.1-related outcomes, but was still lower than booster dose vaccine effectiveness for previous circulating variants.
“A booster dose improved VE over the primary series against all BA.1-related outcomes, but was still lower when compared to booster dose VE for previous circulating variants.”
From Assessing COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against Omicron subvariants: Report from a meeting of the World Health Organization (2023) · cites this paper as [6]
In the paper’s main text (page unavailable), two-dose effectiveness against COVID-19 hospitalization was 70% during the proxy omicron period versus 93% during the earlier delta period. The authors say a booster dose *may* mitigate that reduction; they do not report booster effectiveness against BA.1-related outcomes or compare booster effectiveness across variants. The claim presents that possibility as an observed result and extends it to all outcomes. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn the South Africa Discovery Health study, vaccine effectiveness of the primary series of BNT162b2 tended to be 10-20 percentage points lower during the BA.4/5 period than the BA.1/2 period from 3 to 8 months after vaccination, although with overlapping confidence intervals.
“Comparing absolute VE within two-month time intervals since the most recent vaccine dose, VE of the primary series of BNT162b2 (monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech) tended to be 10-20 percentage points lower during the BA.4/5 period than the BA.1/2 period from 3 to 8 months after vaccination, although with overlapping confidence intervals;”
From Assessing COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against Omicron subvariants: Report from a meeting of the World Health Organization (2023) · cites this paper as [6]
The main text (page unavailable) confirms that the Discovery Health study estimated effectiveness of two BNT162b2 doses. But it compares an early Omicron proxy period with a Delta-dominant period, not BA.4/5 with BA.1/2; it does not report the claimed 3–8-month intervals, 10–20-point difference, or overlapping confidence intervals. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredPrimary series vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization for BA.1 was lower than against previous circulating variants of concern, though higher than vaccine effectiveness against infection and symptomatic disease.
“Data showed that primary series VE against hospitalization was also lower compared to previous circulating variants of concern, though higher than the VE against infection and symptomatic disease [6].”
From Assessing COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against Omicron subvariants: Report from a meeting of the World Health Organization (2023) · cites this paper as [6]
In the paper’s results (page not provided), two-dose effectiveness against hospitalization was 70% during the proxy omicron period, versus 93% during the delta-dominant period. The paper does not report vaccine effectiveness against infection or symptomatic disease, so it does not establish the claimed comparison with those outcomes. It also uses an omicron proxy period rather than confirming BA.1 for each case. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant carries over 34 mutations in the spike protein.
“The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant carries over 34 mutations in the spike protein”
From Protection of the third-dose and fourth-dose mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariant: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2023) · cites this paper as [3]
The main text discusses Omicron’s prevalence, antibody neutralization, and vaccine effectiveness; it also uses S-gene target failure as an indicator of infection. A search of our copy for spike mutations and the number 34 found no passage stating how many mutations Omicron carries in its spike protein. (LLM, conf=0.75)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
In the South Africa Discovery Health study, no difference was observed in vaccine effectiveness after the first booster dose of BNT162b2 with up to 8 months follow-up, and no difference was observed following a second booster dose with up to 4 months follow-up.
“no difference was observed in VE after the first booster dose of BNT162b2, with up to 8 months follow-up, and also no difference was observed following a second booster dose with up to 4 months follow-up.”
From Assessing COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against Omicron subvariants: Report from a meeting of the World Health Organization (2023) · cites this paper as [6]
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Effectiveness of Covid-19 Vaccines against the B.1.617.2 (Delta) Variant
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- [3]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Science brief: evidence used to update the list of underlying medical conditions associated with higher risk for severe COVID-19. October 14, 2021 (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/science-briefs/underlying-evidence-table.html). 34009770
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- Authors
- Collie, S., Champion, J., Moultrie, H., Bekker, L.-G., & Gray, G.
- Affiliations
- Discovery Health, Johannesburg, South Africa
- National Institute for Communicable Diseases (ZA)
- Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation (ZA)
- South African Medical Research Council (ZA)
- Corresponding author
- Gray, Glenda
- Venue
- New England Journal of Medicine
- Publisher
- Massachusetts Medical Society
- Published
- 2022-02-03
- Volume
- 386
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 494-496
- ISSN
- 0028-4793 (ISSN-L)
- 1533-4406
- PMC
- PMC8757569
- OpenAlex
- W4200320470
- Cited by
- 600
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 44 · 2023: 139 · 2022: 389 · 2021: 3
- FWCI
- 45.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- New England Journal of Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Social Sciences › Health › Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
- Keywords
- BNT162b2, Omicron variant, vaccine effectiveness, COVID-19 pandemic, South Africa
- MeSH terms
- SARS-CoV-2, Vaccine Efficacy, BNT162 Vaccine, Humans, South Africa, Logistic Models
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