Deng X, He H Q, Zhou Y, Yan R, Tang X W, Zhu Y, Xu X P, Lyu H K
Department of Immunization Program, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, 310051, China.
Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing Xue Za Zhi. 2022 Feb 10;43(2):292-296. doi: 10.3760/cma.j.cn112338-20210706-00524.
Estimating the actual real-world effectiveness of the vaccine is an essential part of the post-marketing evaluation. This regression discontinuity design (RDD) using observational data is designed to quantify the effect of an intervention when eligibility for the intervention is based on a defined cutoff as age, making it suited to estimate vaccine effects. This approach can avoid the high cost and ethical issues; overcome difficulties in the organization and practice process in randomized controlled trials, which leads to a higher level of causal inference evidence and more realistic results. Here, we describe key features of RDD in general, and then specific scenarios, with examples, to illustrate that RDD are an essential tool for advancing our understanding of vaccine effects.
