Vaccination with BNT162b2 reduces transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to household contacts in Israel

Science. 2022 Mar 11;375(6585):1151-1154. doi: 10.1126/science.abl4292. Epub 2022 Jan 27.

Abstract

The effectiveness of vaccines against COVID-19 on the individual level is well established. However, few studies have examined vaccine effectiveness against transmission. We used a chain binomial model to estimate the effectiveness of vaccination with BNT162b2 [Pfizer-BioNTech messenger RNA (mRNA)-based vaccine] against household transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Israel before and after emergence of the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant. Vaccination reduced susceptibility to infection by 89.4% [95% confidence interval (CI): 88.7 to 90.0%], whereas vaccine effectiveness against infectiousness given infection was 23.0% (95% CI: -11.3 to 46.7%) during days 10 to 90 after the second dose, before 1 June 2021. Total vaccine effectiveness was 91.8% (95% CI: 88.1 to 94.3%). However, vaccine effectiveness is reduced over time as a result of the combined effect of waning of immunity and emergence of the Delta variant.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • BNT162 Vaccine* / administration & dosage
  • BNT162 Vaccine* / immunology
  • COVID-19 / prevention & control*
  • COVID-19 / transmission*
  • COVID-19 / virology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Family Characteristics*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Israel
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Vaccination
  • Vaccine Efficacy*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • BNT162 Vaccine

Supplementary concepts

  • SARS-CoV-2 variants