Describing the population experiencing COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough following second vaccination in England: a cohort study from OpenSAFELY

• DOI: 10.1186/s12916-022-02422-0
• Publication Date: 2022-07-05T18:08:38Z
• Authors: Amelia Green; Helen Curtis; William Hulme; Elizabeth Williamson; Helen McDonald; Krishnan Bhaskaran; Christopher Rentsch; Anna Schultze; Brian MacKenna; Viyaasan Mahaling...; Laurie Tomlinson; Alex Walker; Louis Fisher; Jon Massey; Colm Andrews; Lisa Hopcroft; Caroline Morton; Richard Croker; Jessica Morley; Amir Mehrkar; Seb Bacon; David Evans; Peter Inglesby; George Hickman; Tom Ward; Simon Davy; Rohini Mathur; John Tazare; Rosalind Eggo; Kevin Wing; Angel Wong; Harriet Forbes; Chris Bates; Jonathan Cockburn; John Parry; Frank Hester; Sam Harper; Ian Douglas; Stephen Evans; Liam Smeeth; Ben Goldacre
• Keywords: COVID-19 Vaccines; SARS-CoV-2; EHR data; Vaccination; R; COVID-19; 3. Good health; Chickenpox Vaccine; Cohort Studies; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; England; Medicine; Humans; England/epidemiology; COVID-19/epidemiology; Vaccine breakthrough; Research Article; Retrospective Studies

Abstract Background While the vaccines against COVID-19 are highly effective, vaccine breakthrough is possible despite being fully vaccinated. With SARS-CoV-2 variants still circulating, describing characteristics of individuals who have experienced breakthroughs could be hugely important in helping to determine may at greatest risk. Methods approval NHS England, we conducted a retrospective cohort study using routine clinical data from OpenSAFELY-TPP database vaccinated individuals, linked secondary care and death registry described those experiencing breakthroughs. Results As 1st November 2021, total 15,501,550 were identified as COVID-19, with median follow-up time 149 days (IQR: ​107–179). From within this population, 579,780 (<4%) reported positive test. For every 1000 years patient time, corresponding incidence rate (IR) was 98.06 (95% CI 97.93–98.19). There 28,580 COVID-19-related hospital admissions, 1980 critical admissions 6435 deaths; IRs 4.77 4.74–4.80), 0.33 0.32–0.34) 1.07 1.06–1.09), respectively. The highest rates seen homes patients chronic kidney disease, dialysis, transplant, haematological malignancy or immunocompromised. Conclusions majority cases England mild, some differences been several groups. it note that these findings simply descriptive cannot used answer why certain groups higher than others, emergence Omicron variant coupled number tests occurring concerning numbers (and boosted) increases lengthens, so too will cases. Additional analyses, assess waning between different variants, aimed identifying risk, needed.