SARS-CoV-2 vaccine effectiveness against Omicron variant in infection-naive population, Australia, 2022
Publication Details
Bloomfield, L. E.,
Ngeh, S.,
Cadby, G.,
Hutcheon, K.,
&
Effler, P.
(2023).
SARS-CoV-2 vaccine effectiveness against Omicron variant in infection-naive population, Australia, 2022.
Emerging Infectious Diseases, 29 (6), 1162-1172.
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 transmission in Western Australia, Australia, was negligible until a wave of Omicron variant infections emerged in February 2022, when >90% of adults had been vaccinated. This unique pandemic enabled assessment of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine effectiveness (VE) without potential interference from background immunity from prior infection. We matched 188,950 persons who had a positive PCR test result during February-May 2022 to negative controls by age, week of test, and other possible confounders. Overall, 3-dose VE was 42.0% against infection and 81.7% against hospitalization or death. A primary series of 2 viral-vectored vaccines followed by an mRNA booster provided significantly longer protection against infection >60 days after vaccination than a 3-dose series of mRNA vaccine. In a population free from non-vaccine-derived background immunity, vaccines against the ancestral spike protein were ≈80% effective for preventing serious outcomes from infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant.
Keywords
2019 novel coronavirus disease, Australia, COVID-19, Omicron, SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-2–naive
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