COVID-19 mRNA vaccine prevents ICU entry for 1 year

In a recent survey published on the preprint server medRxiv *, Researchers will investigate the shelf life of the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) -based coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine to prevent entry into the intensive care unit (ICU). In this regard, mRNA-based vaccination was found to be effective for up to 12 months after receiving the second dose.

study: Duration of efficacy of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine for severe disease. Image Credit: MilanMarkovic78 / Shutterstock.com

Background

Protection from COVID-19 caused by infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) or Moderna (mRNA-1273). These two mRNA-based vaccines are usually given in a two-dose regimen, with an interval of 3-4 weeks between each dose.

According to a recent report, the vaccine is effective for about 250 days after vaccination and is 70% effective.study Effectiveness of The COVID-19 vaccine helps to understand weakened immunity and determine the need for additional vaccines.

About research

Current studies include a matched case control (1:30) design consisting of 62,555 people infected with SARS-CoV-2, which is a positive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) during January 1. ) Determined by the assay. , 2021, and February 20, 2022, in Qatar.

The two groups included in the current study were a group of 62,871 people receiving regular care and a group of 2,102 people admitted to the ICU.

In particular, 64.7% of the regular care group were male, and 73% of the ICU admitted group were male. Patients who received either BNT162b2 (10 or 30 µg), mRNA-1273 17277, or the AstraZenecaChAdOx1 vaccine were included in the study.

The interval between the first two doses was 21 days with the BNT162b2 vaccine and 28 days with the mRNA-1273 vaccine. On the third booster, the median interval was 246 days. The same type of vaccine was given with booster immunity. For mRNA-1273, half the dose was used for booster immunization.

The presence of certain comorbidities including diabetes, hypertension, cancer, obesity, asthma / COPD, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, rheumatism, kidneys, neurological disorders, blood, immune-related, and liver disorders was recorded. Ethnicity and gender were not considered confounding factors.

Investigation result

Vaccination against COVID-19 was found to be 59% effective in preventing ICU entry between the first and second doses. In this regard, vaccine efficacy increased to 89% after the second dose and remained at 91% between 4-6 after the second dose.

The two major waves are drawn over a 14-month study period (1-12 are January-December 2021 and 13-14 are January-February 2022).

Within 6-9 months after full vaccination, the effectiveness of the vaccine dropped to only 90%. In addition, between 9-12 months after the second dose, the vaccine efficacy for ICU admission was 94%. After booster administration, the vaccine efficacy in this regard increased to 95%.

No significant difference was observed in the efficacy of the vaccine before and after excluding participants who received the AstraZeneca vaccine. Interestingly, patient age was an important factor in deciding whether ICU admission was necessary.

The value of the number required for vaccination (NNV) increased from 9 years of age 60 to 90 years of age 30 between 9 and 12 months after the second vaccination. This indicates that the lower the NNV value, the higher the risk of entering the ICU in the vulnerable group.

Conclusion

Study results show that mRNA vaccination is up to 94% effective in preventing ICU admission for up to 12 months after the second dose, in contrast to the weakened immunity observed in previous studies. .. Importantly, the current study avoided some of the biases found in previous reports by examining the entire Qatar cohort. However, additional studies are needed to determine vaccine efficacy for ICU admission after 12 months.

*Important Notices

medRxiv Publish preliminary scientific reports that should not be considered definitive as they have not been peer-reviewed, guide clinical practice / health-related behaviors, and should not be treated as established information.