A new study published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine shows that protection against the omicron variant deteriorates over time – even after a third dose of vaccine.
Kaiser Permanente found that the third dose of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine protected against hospitalization due to a reduction in omicron after 3 months.
A research study published on April 22, 2022 in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine shows that a booster dose of Pfizer COVID-19 provides strong protection, approximately 80% to 90%, in the first few months against hospital admission and emergency visits. compartments caused by delta and omicron variants of COVID-19. However, this protection against omicron deteriorates over time – even after the third dose of vaccine.
“Increasing doses of Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 significantly improve protection against omicron, although this protection appears to be reduced after 3 months against emergency room visits and even hospitalization,” said study lead author Dr. Sarah J. Tartoff, an epidemiologist. with the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research and Evaluation and a member of the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine Bernard J. Tyson, both in Pasadena. “The declining trends compared to delta-related results were generally similar to omicron, but more efficient at all times than those observed for omicron.”
For this study, researchers examined 11,123 hospital admissions and emergency departments that did not lead to hospitalization for an acute respiratory infection. The researchers reviewed Kaiser Permanente’s patient records in Southern California from December 1, 2021, to February 6, 2022, when both the delta and omicron variants circulated in the population.
- After 2 doses of Pfizer COVID-19, the efficacy against omicron was 41% against hospital admissions and 31% against emergency room visits at 9 months.
- After 3 doses, the effectiveness against omicron-related hospitalization was 85% in less than 3 months, but dropped to 55% after 3 months or more.
- Against emergency room visits that did not result in hospitalization, the effectiveness of the 3-dose vaccine against omicron was 77% in less than 3 months, but dropped to 53% in 3 months or more.
“Although the levels of protection of Pfizer COVID-19 against omicron after 3 doses are significantly higher than those observed after 2 doses, they are lower than those observed for delta or other strains of COVID-19,” said Tartoff. . “Additional doses of current, adapted or new vaccines against COVID-19 may be needed to maintain high levels of protection against subsequent waves of COVID-19 caused by omicron or future variants with similar potential to avoid protection.
Reference: “Resistance of the BNT162b2 vaccine to hospital and emergency room settings due to omicron and delta variants in a major US healthcare system: a negative case-control test” by Sara Y Tartof, PhD; Jeff M Slezak, MS; Dr. Laura Puzniak; Venice Hong, MPH; Fagen Sie, Ph.D .; Bradley K. Akerson, Ph.D .; Srinivas R. Valuri, Ph.D .; Louis Jodar, Ph.D. and John M. McLaughlin, Ph.D., April 22, 2022, The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.DOI: 10.1016 / S2213-2600 (22) 00101-1
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