Coronavirus (41) Nationwide COVID-19 immunization in Israel
The nationwide vaccination programmes for COVID-19 have been rolled out in several countries. Surveillance report from the Israel vaccination programme which uses BNT162b2 (by Pfizer and BioNTech, mRNA vaccine) has been published early this month.1 In contrast with the report from the UK which provides data on the effectiveness of the BNT162b2 Pfizer vaccine after the first dose, the surveillance report from Israel provides data on the effectiveness of BNT162b2 after the second dose. When taken together with the data from the report from the UK, the data from Israel should provide us a more comprehensive idea of the efficacy of BNT162b2 in the general population. Let us have a look at this report.
Background of the surveillance report from Israel
The report from Israel was done by the Israel Ministry of Health and by Pfizer. Israel launched the vaccination campaign on 20 December 2020, 12 days after the UK. Moreover, Israel used only BNT162b2 (Pfizer) for its nationwide vaccination programme.
The study analyzed nationwide surveillance data from 24 January to 3 April, 2021. The start of the study period corresponded to 14 days after the first individuals received their second BNT162b2 dose. By 3 April 2021, 72.1% of people aged 16 years and older were fully vaccinated with two doses of BNT162b2. Individuals with a history of severe allergic reactions to the vaccine components were not eligible to receive the vaccine.
The study aimed to estimate the effectiveness of two doses of BNT162b2 (second dose injected 21 days after the first dose, in accordance with the suggestion from Pfizer) against a range of SARS-CoV-2 outcomes (asymptomatic infection, symptomatic infection, and COVID-19-related hospitalisation, severe or critical hospitalisation, and death) in the general population in Israel. The study also evaluated the nationwide public-health impact following the widespread introduction of the vaccine.
The vaccine’s effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 outcomes was calculated on the basis of incidence rates in fully vaccinated individuals (who had received the second dose of vaccine and had passed 7 days) compared with rates in unvaccinated individuals (who had not received any doses of the vaccine).
The data from the observational surveillance report from Israel vaccination campaign The report showed that BNT162b2 is highly effective across all age groups (16–24, 25–34, 35–44, 45–54, 55–64, 65–74, 75–84, and ≥85 years) in preventing a range of SARS-CoV-2 outcomes. Among adults aged 16 years and older, the vaccine effectiveness was 95.3% against SARS-CoV-2 infection at 7 days or longer after the second dose: 91.5% against asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, 97.0% against symptomatic COVID-19, 97.2% against COVID-19-related hospitalisation, 97.5% against severe or critical COVID-19-related hospitalisation, and 96.7% against COVID-19-related death.
According to the test samples of people with COVID-19 taken during the period of the study, 94.5% of the SARS-CoV-2 infections were from the B.1.1.7 variant. The test results indicated that BNT162b2 is highly effective against the SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7, which was first identified in the UK, and later reported in Israel on 23 December, 2020.
In all age groups, as vaccine coverage increased, the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection declined. The early reductions in incident cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections were observed in older age groups, which had higher and earlier vaccine coverage. The declines were observed for people aged 65 years and older starting in mid-January 2021, while the reductions were observed 3 to 4 weeks later among people aged between 16 and 24, when vaccine coverage for this age group began to increase. The incidence of COVID-19 hospitalisations, severe or critical hospitalisations, and deaths, were also declined accordingly.
The figures from the report showed that the declines of SARS-CoV-2 incidence continued even after the two phases of reopenings on 7 February and 21 February 2021, and the final lifting of the lockdown on 7 March 2021. These findings suggest that the vaccine coverage was the main contributor for the reductions in the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections, while the next is the nationwide lockdown measure.
Moreover, the SARS-CoV-2 incidence remained low even after the two phases of reopenings. This further suggests that vaccine coverage might provide a sustainable path towards resuming normal activity nationally.
Conclusion
The UK government has started giving BNT162b2 (Pfizer) to most adults aged under 40.2 The report from Israel demonstrates that two doses of BNT162b2 are highly effective in preventing different SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes, including severe disease and death, among different age groups. Moreover, there were steep and sustained declines in SARS-CoV-2 infection rate corresponding to increasing vaccine coverage. Therefore, unless you have a history of severe allergic reactions and are defined as not suitable to get the BNT162b2 Pfizer vaccination,3 it is worth receiving a full dosage of the vaccine in order to get protection from COVID-19.
References
1. E.J. Haas, F.J. Angulo, J.M. McLaughlin, et al. Impact and effectiveness of mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 cases, hospitalisations, and deaths following a nationwide vaccination campaign in Israel: an observational study using national surveillance data. Lancet, May 5, 2021 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00947-8 . Online ahead of print.
2. Under 40s to be offered alternative to AZ vaccine. By James Gallagher. BBC news, 7th May, 2021. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57021738
3. Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine overview and safety. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/Pfizer-BioNTech.html
The nationwide vaccination programmes for COVID-19 have been rolled out in several countries. Surveillance report from the Israel vaccination programme which uses BNT162b2 (by Pfizer and BioNTech, mRNA vaccine) has been published early this month.1 In contrast with the report from the UK which provides data on the effectiveness of the BNT162b2 Pfizer vaccine after the first dose, the surveillance report from Israel provides data on the effectiveness of BNT162b2 after the second dose. When taken together with the data from the report from the UK, the data from Israel should provide us a more comprehensive idea of the efficacy of BNT162b2 in the general population. Let us have a look at this report.
Background of the surveillance report from Israel
The report from Israel was done by the Israel Ministry of Health and by Pfizer. Israel launched the vaccination campaign on 20 December 2020, 12 days after the UK. Moreover, Israel used only BNT162b2 (Pfizer) for its nationwide vaccination programme.
The study analyzed nationwide surveillance data from 24 January to 3 April, 2021. The start of the study period corresponded to 14 days after the first individuals received their second BNT162b2 dose. By 3 April 2021, 72.1% of people aged 16 years and older were fully vaccinated with two doses of BNT162b2. Individuals with a history of severe allergic reactions to the vaccine components were not eligible to receive the vaccine.
The study aimed to estimate the effectiveness of two doses of BNT162b2 (second dose injected 21 days after the first dose, in accordance with the suggestion from Pfizer) against a range of SARS-CoV-2 outcomes (asymptomatic infection, symptomatic infection, and COVID-19-related hospitalisation, severe or critical hospitalisation, and death) in the general population in Israel. The study also evaluated the nationwide public-health impact following the widespread introduction of the vaccine.
The vaccine’s effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 outcomes was calculated on the basis of incidence rates in fully vaccinated individuals (who had received the second dose of vaccine and had passed 7 days) compared with rates in unvaccinated individuals (who had not received any doses of the vaccine).
The data from the observational surveillance report from Israel vaccination campaign The report showed that BNT162b2 is highly effective across all age groups (16–24, 25–34, 35–44, 45–54, 55–64, 65–74, 75–84, and ≥85 years) in preventing a range of SARS-CoV-2 outcomes. Among adults aged 16 years and older, the vaccine effectiveness was 95.3% against SARS-CoV-2 infection at 7 days or longer after the second dose: 91.5% against asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, 97.0% against symptomatic COVID-19, 97.2% against COVID-19-related hospitalisation, 97.5% against severe or critical COVID-19-related hospitalisation, and 96.7% against COVID-19-related death.
According to the test samples of people with COVID-19 taken during the period of the study, 94.5% of the SARS-CoV-2 infections were from the B.1.1.7 variant. The test results indicated that BNT162b2 is highly effective against the SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7, which was first identified in the UK, and later reported in Israel on 23 December, 2020.
In all age groups, as vaccine coverage increased, the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection declined. The early reductions in incident cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections were observed in older age groups, which had higher and earlier vaccine coverage. The declines were observed for people aged 65 years and older starting in mid-January 2021, while the reductions were observed 3 to 4 weeks later among people aged between 16 and 24, when vaccine coverage for this age group began to increase. The incidence of COVID-19 hospitalisations, severe or critical hospitalisations, and deaths, were also declined accordingly.
The figures from the report showed that the declines of SARS-CoV-2 incidence continued even after the two phases of reopenings on 7 February and 21 February 2021, and the final lifting of the lockdown on 7 March 2021. These findings suggest that the vaccine coverage was the main contributor for the reductions in the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections, while the next is the nationwide lockdown measure.
Moreover, the SARS-CoV-2 incidence remained low even after the two phases of reopenings. This further suggests that vaccine coverage might provide a sustainable path towards resuming normal activity nationally.
Conclusion
The UK government has started giving BNT162b2 (Pfizer) to most adults aged under 40.2 The report from Israel demonstrates that two doses of BNT162b2 are highly effective in preventing different SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes, including severe disease and death, among different age groups. Moreover, there were steep and sustained declines in SARS-CoV-2 infection rate corresponding to increasing vaccine coverage. Therefore, unless you have a history of severe allergic reactions and are defined as not suitable to get the BNT162b2 Pfizer vaccination,3 it is worth receiving a full dosage of the vaccine in order to get protection from COVID-19.
References
1. E.J. Haas, F.J. Angulo, J.M. McLaughlin, et al. Impact and effectiveness of mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 cases, hospitalisations, and deaths following a nationwide vaccination campaign in Israel: an observational study using national surveillance data. Lancet, May 5, 2021 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00947-8 . Online ahead of print.
2. Under 40s to be offered alternative to AZ vaccine. By James Gallagher. BBC news, 7th May, 2021. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57021738
3. Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine overview and safety. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/Pfizer-BioNTech.html
No comments:
Post a Comment