Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 subvariants are genetically divergent. We conducted a matched, test-negative, case-control study to estimate duration of protection of the second and third/booster doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines against BA.1 and BA.2 infections in Qatar. BNT162b2 effectiveness was highest at 46.6% (95% CI: 33.4–57.2%) against symptomatic BA.1 and at 51.7% (95% CI: 43.2–58.9%) against symptomatic BA.2 infections in the first three months after the second dose, but declined to ~10% or below thereafter. Effectiveness rebounded to 59.9% (95% CI: 51.2–67.0%) and 43.7% (95% CI: 36.5–50.0%), respectively, in the first month after the booster dose, before declining again. Effectiveness against COVID-19 hospitalization and death was 70–80% after the second dose and >90% after the booster dose. mRNA-1273 vaccine protection showed similar patterns. mRNA vaccines provide comparable, moderate, and short-lived protection against symptomatic BA.1 and BA.2 Omicron infections, but strong and durable protection against COVID-19 hospitalization and death.

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has subvariants with divergent properties but relative vaccine effectiveness has not been characterized. Here, the authors show that mRNA vaccine effectiveness is similar for the subvariants BA.1 and BA.2, with a decline three months after the second dose and increase after the booster.

Details

Title
Duration of mRNA vaccine protection against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 subvariants in Qatar
Author
Chemaitelly, Hiam 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Ayoub, Houssein H. 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; AlMukdad, Sawsan 3 ; Coyle, Peter 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Tang, Patrick 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Yassine, Hadi M. 6   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Al-Khatib, Hebah A. 6 ; Smatti, Maria K. 6 ; Hasan, Mohammad R. 5 ; Al-Kanaani, Zaina 7 ; Al-Kuwari, Einas 7 ; Jeremijenko, Andrew 7   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Kaleeckal, Anvar Hassan 7 ; Latif, Ali Nizar 7 ; Shaik, Riyazuddin Mohammad 7 ; Abdul-Rahim, Hanan F. 8 ; Nasrallah, Gheyath K. 6   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Al-Kuwari, Mohamed Ghaith 9 ; Butt, Adeel A. 10   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Al-Romaihi, Hamad Eid 11 ; Al-Thani, Mohamed H. 11 ; Al-Khal, Abdullatif 7   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Bertollini, Roberto 11 ; Abu-Raddad, Laith J. 12   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

1  Cornell University, Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.416973.e) (ISNI:0000 0004 0582 4340); Cornell University, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Disease Epidemiology Analytics on HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Viral Hepatitis, Weill Cornell Medicine—Qatar, Qatar Foundation—Education City, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.416973.e) (ISNI:0000 0004 0582 4340); Cornell University, Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA (GRID:grid.5386.8) (ISNI:000000041936877X) 
2  Qatar University, Mathematics Program, Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.412603.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 0634 1084) 
3  Cornell University, Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.416973.e) (ISNI:0000 0004 0582 4340); Cornell University, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Disease Epidemiology Analytics on HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Viral Hepatitis, Weill Cornell Medicine—Qatar, Qatar Foundation—Education City, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.416973.e) (ISNI:0000 0004 0582 4340) 
4  Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.413548.f) (ISNI:0000 0004 0571 546X); Qatar University, Biomedical Research Center, Member of QU Health, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.412603.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 0634 1084); Queens University, Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Belfast, UK (GRID:grid.4777.3) (ISNI:0000 0004 0374 7521) 
5  Sidra Medicine, Department of Pathology, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.467063.0) (ISNI:0000 0004 0397 4222) 
6  Qatar University, Biomedical Research Center, Member of QU Health, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.412603.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 0634 1084); Qatar University, Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, Member of QU Health, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.412603.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 0634 1084) 
7  Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.413548.f) (ISNI:0000 0004 0571 546X) 
8  Qatar University, Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.412603.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 0634 1084) 
9  Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.498624.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 4676 5308) 
10  Cornell University, Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA (GRID:grid.5386.8) (ISNI:000000041936877X); Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.413548.f) (ISNI:0000 0004 0571 546X); Cornell University, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA (GRID:grid.5386.8) (ISNI:000000041936877X) 
11  Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.498619.b) 
12  Cornell University, Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.416973.e) (ISNI:0000 0004 0582 4340); Cornell University, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Disease Epidemiology Analytics on HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Viral Hepatitis, Weill Cornell Medicine—Qatar, Qatar Foundation—Education City, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.416973.e) (ISNI:0000 0004 0582 4340); Cornell University, Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA (GRID:grid.5386.8) (ISNI:000000041936877X); Qatar University, Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.412603.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 0634 1084) 
Publication year
2022
Publication date
2022
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20411723
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30895-3
ProQuest document ID
2672488691
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2022. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.