COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness against the Omicron BA.2 variant in England

• DOI: 10.1101/2022.03.22.22272691
• Publication Date: 2022-03-25T04:45:10Z
• Authors: Freja C. M. Kirsebom; Nick Andrews; Julia Stowe; Samuel Toffa; Ruchira Sachdeva; Eileen Gallagher; Natalie Groves; Anne-Marie O’Connell; Meera Chand; Mary Ramsay; Jamie Lopez Bernal
• Keywords: Lineage (genetic); Booster (rocketry)

Abstract The BA.1 sub-lineage of the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant, first detected in UK mid-November 2021, rapidly became dominant strain partly due to reduced vaccine effectiveness. An increase a second BA.2 was observed early January 2022. In this study we use test-negative case control design estimate effectiveness against symptomatic disease with and after one or two doses BNT162b2, ChAdOx1-S mRNA-1273, booster BNT162b2 mRNA-1273 during period co-circulation. Overall, there no evidence that is following infection as compared BA.1. Furthermore, similar rates waning were dose for each sub-lineage. These data provide reassuring vaccines currently caused by BA.2.