The study’s design enabled the researchers to directly compare the effectiveness of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in a real-world setting, in diverse subgroups, and across different periods when the Alpha or Delta variants were predominant. The large size of the study population also allowed researchers to provide precise estimates for severe COVID-19 outcomes. The study confirms that both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are highly effective, with low risks of breakthrough infections and other COVID-19 outcomes.
Onto the second point, according to early randomised trials, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have demonstrated more than 90% effectiveness for preventing symptomatic COVID-19. However, the vaccines’ comparative effectiveness for a range of outcomes, across diverse populations, and against the Delta variant was unknown.
Using data from the VA’s healthcare databases, the team analysed the electronic health records of one group of 219,842 U.S. veterans who received the Pfizer vaccine and another group of 219,842 veterans who received the Moderna vaccine between January 4 and May 14, 2021. The researchers documented the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections, symptomatic COVID-19 cases, and COVID-19-related hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and deaths. During a 24-week follow-up period when the Alpha variant was predominant, the estimated risk of infection was 5.75 infections per 1,000 persons for the Pfizer vaccine group and 4.52 infections per 1,000 persons for the Moderna vaccine group. The risk over a 12-week period when the Delta variant was predominant was an additional 6.54 infections per 1,000 persons in the Pfizer group.
Compared with those who received the Moderna vaccine, recipients of the Pfizer vaccine had a 27% higher risk of documented SARS-CoV-2 infection and a 70% higher risk of COVID-19 hospitalisation when Alpha was the predominant variant. During a 12-week period when the Delta variant was predominant, the risk of documented infection was also slightly higher in the Pfizer group. Nevertheless, both of them are extremely useful and effective against Omicron. 2 shots were effective against Delta. Is that all? Of course, not.
Onto the third point, scientists analysed 133,437 PCR test results that had been obtained during the comparator period, of which 38,155 (28.6%) had been obtained at least 14 days after the patient had received the second dose of vaccine. For the proxy omicron period, we analysed 78,173 PCR test results, of which 32,325 (41.4%) had been obtained at least 14 days after the second dose (Table 1). The overall test positivity was 6.4% during the comparator period and 24.4% during the proxy omicron period, whereas the Covid-19 admission rate was 10.8% and 2.2%, respectively, as a percentage of positive PCR test results. Patients with positive cases were younger during the proxy omicron period than during the comparator period Thus, during the proxy omicron period, we saw a maintenance of effectiveness of the BNT162b2 vaccine (albeit at a reduced level) against hospital admission for Covid-19 that was presumed to have been caused by the omicron variant as compared with the rate associated with the delta variant earlier in the year. The addition of a booster dose of vaccine may mitigate this reduction in vaccine effectiveness.
In conclusion, taking the vaccine is crucial as it offers so many benefits and boosts and helps us defend against the virus. Thank you for listening.