Effectiveness of BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 covid-19 vaccines against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe covid-19 outcomes in Ontario, Canada: test negative design study
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Abstract
Objective: To estimate the effectiveness of mRNA covid-19 vaccines against symptomatic infection and severe outcomes (hospital admission or death). Design: Test negative design study. Setting: Ontario, Canada between 14 December 2020 and 19 April 2021. Participants: 324 033 community dwelling people aged ≥16 years who had symptoms of covid-19 and were tested for SARS-CoV-2. Interventions: BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) or mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccine. Main outcome measures: Laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and hospital admissions and deaths associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Multivariable logistic regression was adjusted for personal and clinical characteristics associated with SARS-CoV-2 and vaccine receipt to estimate vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic infection and severe outcomes. Results: Of 324 033 people with symptoms, 53 270 (16.4%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2 and 21 272 (6.6%) received at least one dose of vaccine. Among participants who tested positive, 2479 (4.7%) were admitted to hospital or died. Vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic infection observed ≥14 days after one dose was 60% (95% confidence interval 57% to 64%), increasing from 48% (41% to 54%) at 14-20 days after one dose to 71% (63% to 78%) at 35-41 days. Vaccine effectiveness observed ≥7 days after two doses was 91% (89% to 93%). Vaccine effectiveness against hospital admission or death observed ≥14 days after one dose was 70% (60% to 77%), increasing from 62% (44% to 75%) at 14-20 days to 91% (73% to 97%) at ≥35 days, whereas vaccine effectiveness observed ≥7 days after two doses was 98% (88% to 100%). For adults aged ≥70 years, vaccine effectiveness estimates were observed to be lower for intervals shortly after one dose but were comparable to those for younger people for all intervals after 28 days. After two doses, high vaccine effectiveness was observed against variants with the E484K mutation. Conclusions: Two doses of mRNA covid-19 vaccines were observed to be highly effective against symptomatic infection and severe outcomes. Vaccine effectiveness of one dose was observed to be lower, particularly for older adults shortly after the first dose.
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For vaccine effectiveness against progression from oxygen use to mechanical ventilation or death, additional adjustments were made for use of antivirals, monoclonal antibody therapy, steroids, anti-inflammatory drugs, anticoagulation, and proning; these potential confounders were determined a priori based on published reports.
“To estimate VE against progression from oxygen use to mechanical ventilation or death among COVID-19 patients, additional adjustments were made for use of antivirals, monoclonal antibody therapy, steroids, anti-inflammatory drugs (tocilizumab or baricitinib), anticoagulation, and proning. These potential confounders were determined a priori based on published reports [8,9,15,17].”
From COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against severe COVID-19 requiring oxygen therapy, invasive mechanical ventilation, and death in Japan: A multicenter case-control study (MOTIVATE study) (2024) · cites this paper as [8]
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Chung, H., He, S., Nasreen, S., Sundaram, M. E., Buchan, S. A., Wilson, S. E., Chen, B., Calzavara, A., Fell, D. B., Austin, P. C., Wilson, K., Schwartz, K. L., Brown, K. A., Gubbay, J. B., Basta, N. E., Mahmud, S. M., Righolt, C. H., Svenson, L. W., MacDonald, S. E., Janjua, N. Z., Tadrous, M., & Kwong, J. C.
- Affiliations
- Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (CA)
- University of Toronto (CA)
- University of Ottawa (CA)
- McGill University (CA)
- University of Manitoba (CA)
- University of Alberta (CA)
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- University Health Network (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Kwong, Jeffrey C
- ORCID
- Chung, Hannah
- He, Siyi
- Nasreen, Sharifa
- Sundaram, Maria E
- Buchan, Sarah A
- Wilson, Sarah E
- Chen, Branson
- Fell, Deshayne B
- Austin, Peter C
- Wilson, Kumanan
- Schwartz, Kevin L
- Brown, Kevin A
- Gubbay, Jonathan B
- Basta, Nicole E
- Mahmud, Salaheddin M
- Righolt, Christiaan H
- Svenson, Lawrence W
- MacDonald, Shannon E
- Janjua, Naveed Z
- Tadrous, Mina
- Kwong, Jeffrey C
- Venue
- BMJ
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 2021-08-20
- Volume
- 374
- Pages
- n1943
- ISSN
- 1756-1833 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC8377789
- OpenAlex
- W3194598131
- Cited by
- 307
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 72 · 2022: 144 · 2021: 42
- FWCI
- 22.65
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- BMJ (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- medRxiv (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Federal Open Science Repository of Canada / Le Dépôt fédéral de science ouverte du Canada (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- SUNY Digital Repository Support (State University of New York System) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
- Public Health Agency of Canada (CNF 151944, 151944)
- Public Health Agency
- University of Toronto
- Canadian Immunization Research Network (CNF 151944)
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (151944, COVID-19, 151944_1)
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (R01AI132496)
- 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, mRNA-1273, COVID-19 vaccines, SARS-CoV-2, vaccine effectiveness, symptomatic infection, hospitalization, COVID-19 mortality, test-negative design, two-dose vaccination, older adults, Ontario, COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence, vaccine hesitancy
- MeSH terms
- COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 Vaccines, COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Testing, BNT162 Vaccine, 2019-nCoV Vaccine mRNA-1273, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Ontario, Patient Admission, Treatment Outcome, Young Adult
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