Vaccine effectiveness against severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) COVID-19 hospitalisations estimated from real-world surveillance data, Slovenia, October 2021

Abstract

We estimated vaccine effectiveness (VE) against severe COVID-19 during October 2021, using Slovenian surveillance data. For people fully vaccinated with any vaccine in age groups 18–49, 50–64, ≥ 65 years, VE was 86% (95% CI: 79–90), 89% (85–91), and 77% (74–81). Among ≥ 65 year-olds fully vaccinated with mRNA vaccines, VE decreased from 93% (95% CI: 88–96) in those vaccinated ≤ 3 months ago to 43% (95% CI: 30–54) in those vaccinated ≥ 6 months ago, suggesting the need for early boosters.

mRNA vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation due to severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) COVID-19 during Omicron variant predominance estimated from real-world surveillance data, Slovenia, February to March 2022

“…It should be noted that for both groups, those who received two and those who received three doses, such high VE lasted for at least 6 months after the last dose received. This was unlike the SARI COVID-19 waning immunity we observed during the period of Delta predominance, in a previous VE study using the same methodology and data sources [ 1 ]. Understanding how much longer the high protection against Omicron-related SARI COVID-19 hospitalisation will last, will only be possible in the future, when the number of people vaccinated with the third dose more than 6 months ago will accumulate.…”

“…Surveillance of SARI COVID-19 cases within EPISARI has some limitations, which have been described in detail previously [ 1 , 3 ]. However, it is rather unlikely that SARI COVID-19 cases admissions to hospitals, the outcome used in the analysis, would not be ascertained correctly in most cases and reported.…”

“…We estimated vaccine effectiveness (VE) of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines used in Slovenia against hospitalisation due to severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) COVID-19 for the period with Delta variant predominance in October 2021 [ 1 ]. Emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2) Omicron variant that became predominant in Slovenia in January 2022 [ 2 ] has raised concerns about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines used in the country.…”

Effects of vaccination on COVID-19 infection symptoms in multiple sclerosis patients

“…Respiratory symptoms of COVID-19 infection can be various, such as cough, shortness of breath and dyspnea [ 4 ]. Numerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination in mitigating severe symptoms, hospitalization resulting from COVID-19 infection, mortality and long-COVID symptoms, including respiratory symptoms and headaches in the general population [ [31] , [32] , [33] , [34] , [35] , [36] , [37] , [38] ]. According to a study by Taylor et al Vaccines against COVID-19 could both prevent and help in treating long COVID [ 39 ].…”

COVID-19 and Severe Acute Respiratory Infections: Monitoring Trends in 421 German Hospitals During the First Four Pandemic Waves

“…As mentioned before, real-world comprehensive SARI surveillance is of uttermost importance in the light of the ongoing pandemic and is established in several European countries including Germany. [13][14][15][16] Routine data fully based on ICD-codes should be considered a reliable data source to serve this purpose as has also been stated by authors of a previous study focusing on emergency department attendees in Germany. 17 Monitoring timely trends of COVID-19 and SARI cases can also facilitate the assessment of SARS-CoV-2-related disease severity, which was just recently proposed by members of this author group.…”