Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccines in Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Frontline Workers Before and During B.1.617.2 (Delta) Variant Predominance - Eight U.S. Locations, December 2020-August 2021

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021 Aug 27;70(34):1167-1169. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7034e4.

Abstract

During December 14, 2020-April 10, 2021, data from the HEROES-RECOVER Cohorts,* a network of prospective cohorts among frontline workers, showed that the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccines were approximately 90% effective in preventing symptomatic and asymptomatic infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in real-world conditions (1,2). This report updates vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates including all COVID-19 vaccines available through August 14, 2021, and examines whether VE differs for adults with increasing time since completion of all recommended vaccine doses. VE before and during SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant predominance, which coincided with an increase in reported COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough infections, were compared (3,4).

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19 / epidemiology
  • COVID-19 / prevention & control*
  • COVID-19 / virology
  • COVID-19 Vaccines / administration & dosage
  • COVID-19 Vaccines / immunology*
  • Cohort Studies
  • Emergency Responders / statistics & numerical data*
  • Health Personnel / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • SARS-CoV-2 / isolation & purification*
  • Time Factors
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Vaccination / statistics & numerical data
  • Vaccines, Synthetic
  • mRNA Vaccines

Substances

  • COVID-19 Vaccines
  • Vaccines, Synthetic