Duration of protection of BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccines against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection in Qatar
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Qatar has been experiencing a large SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) wave that started on December 19, 2021. We assessed duration of protection of BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) and mRNA-1273 (Moderna) COVID-19 vaccines after second dose and after third/booster dose against symptomatic Omicron infection and against COVID-19 hospitalization and death, between December 23, 2021 and February 2, 2022. METHODS: Vaccine effectiveness was estimated using the test-negative, case-control study design, applying the same methodology used earlier to assess waning of BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 effectiveness in the same population during earlier infection waves. RESULTS: BNT162b2 effectiveness against symptomatic Omicron infection was highest at 61.9% (95% CI: 49.9-71.1%) in the first month after the second dose, but then gradually declined and was at 10% or less starting from the 5 th month after the second dose. After the booster, effectiveness rapidly rebounded to peak at about 55% between 2-5 weeks after the booster, but then started to decline again thereafter. Effectiveness against severe, critical, or fatal COVID-19 was maintained at >70% after the second dose and at >90% after the booster with no evidence for declining effectiveness over time. mRNA-1273 effectiveness against symptomatic Omicron infection was highest at 44.8% (95% CI: 16.0-63.8%) in the first three months after the second dose, before gradually declining to negligible levels thereafter. After the booster, effectiveness rapidly rebounded to peak at about 55% between 2-5 weeks after the booster, but then declined again thereafter. Effectiveness against severe, critical, or fatal COVID-19 was high at >60% after the second dose and at >80% after the booster, but the confidence intervals were wide owing to the small number of cases. CONCLUSIONS: BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 vaccines show a similar level and pattern of protection against symptomatic Omicron infection. Protection against Omicron is lower than that against Alpha, Beta, and Delta variants, and wanes more rapidly than against earlier variants after the second and booster doses. Meanwhile, protection against hospitalization and death appears robust and durable after both the second and booster doses.
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Compared with the previously demonstrated waning pattern of relative vaccine effectiveness of three doses versus two doses in real world settings, the relative effectiveness of the fourth dose against infection appears to wane sooner, just as waning after the third dose was sooner than after the second dose.
“Nonetheless, compared with the previously demonstrated waning pattern of the relative vaccine effectiveness of three doses versus two doses in real world settings (which begins around three months after inoculation), the relative effectiveness of the fourth dose against infection appears to wane sooner, just as waning after the third dose was sooner than after the second dose.11 26”
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- Authors
- Chemaitelly, H., Ayoub, H. H., AlMukdad, S., Tang, P., Hasan, M. R., Yassine, H. M., Khatib, H. A. A., Smatti, M. K., Coyle, P., Kanaani, Z. A., Kuwari, E. A., Jeremijenko, A., Kaleeckal, A. H., Latif, A. N., Shaik, R. M., Rahim, H. F. A., Nasrallah, G. K., Al Kuwari, M. G., Butt, A. A., Romaihi, H. E. A., Al-Thani, M. H., Khal, A. A., Bertollini, R., & Abu-Raddad, L. J.
- Affiliations
- Cornell University (US)
- Qatar University (QA)
- Sidra Medical and Research Center (QA)
- Queen's University Belfast (GB)
- Hamad Medical Corporation (QA)
- Ministry of Public Health (QA)
- Corresponding author
- Abu-Raddad, Laith J.
- ORCID
- Chemaitelly, Hiam
- Ayoub, Houssein H.
- AlMukdad, Sawsan
- Tang, Patrick
- Hasan, Mohammad R.
- Yassine, Hadi M.
- Khatib, Hebah A. Al
- Smatti, Maria K.
- Coyle, Peter
- Kanaani, Zaina Al
- Jeremijenko, Andrew
- Kaleeckal, Anvar Hassan
- Latif, Ali Nizar
- Shaik, Riyazuddin Mohammad
- Rahim, Hanan F. Abdul
- Nasrallah, Gheyath K.
- Al Kuwari, Mohamed Ghaith
- Butt, Adeel A.
- Romaihi, Hamad Eid Al
- Al-Thani, Mohamed H.
- Bertollini, Roberto
- Abu-Raddad, Laith J.
- Venue
- medRxiv
- Publisher
- openRxiv
- Published
- 2022-02-08
- OpenAlex
- W4210862829
- Cited by
- 30
- References
- 32
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 19
- Type
- posted content
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Locations
- medRxiv (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Hamad Medical Corporation
- Sidra Medicine
- Qatar University
- Weill Cornell Medical College
- Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Modeling and Simulation › COVID-19 epidemiological studies
- Social Sciences › Health › Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy
- Keywords
- BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, COVID-19 vaccines, Omicron variant, SARS-CoV-2, vaccine effectiveness, waning immunity, booster vaccination, symptomatic infection, COVID-19 hospitalization, COVID-19 mortality, Qatar, test-negative design
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