Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden 11800, Malaysia.
Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth 6102, Australia.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Jan 16;20(2):1647. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20021647.
(1) Background: The assessment of vaccine effectiveness against the Omicron variant is vital in the fight against COVID-19, but research on booster vaccine efficacy using nationwide data was lacking at the time of writing. This study investigates the effectiveness of booster doses on the Omicron wave in Malaysia against COVID-19 infections and deaths; (2) Methods: This study uses nationally representative data on COVID-19 from 1 January to 31 March 2022, when the Omicron variant was predominant in Malaysia. Daily new infections, deaths, ICU utilization and Rt values were compared. A screening method was used to predict the vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 infections, whereas logistic regression was used to estimate vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19-related deaths, with efficacy comparison between AZD1222, BNT162b2 and CoronaVac; (3) Results: Malaysia's Omicron wave started at the end of January 2022, peaking on 5 March 2022. At the time of writing, statistics for daily new deaths, ICU utilization, and effective reproductive values (Rt) were showing a downtrend. Boosted vaccination is 95.4% (95% CI: 95.4, 95.4) effective in curbing COVID-19 infection, compared to non-boosted vaccination, which is 87.2% (95% CI: 87.2, 87.2). For symptomatic infection, boosted vaccination is 97.4% (95% CI: 97.4, 97.4) effective, and a non-boosted vaccination is 90.9% (95% CI: 90.9, 90.9). Against COVID-19-related death, boosted vaccination yields a vaccine effectiveness (VE) of 91.7 (95% CI: 90.6, 92.7) and full vaccination yields a VE of 65.7% (95% CI: 61.9, 69.1). Looking into the different vaccines as boosters, AZD1222 is 95.2% (CI 95%: 92.7, 96.8) effective, BNT162b2 is 91.8% (CI 95%: 90.7, 92.8) effective and CoronaVac is 88.8% (CI 95%: 84.9, 91.7) effective against COVID-19 deaths. (4) Conclusions: Boosters are effective in increasing protection against COVID-19, including the Omicron variant. Given that the VE observed was lower, CoronaVac recipients are encouraged to take boosters due to its lower VE.
(1) 背景：评估疫苗对奥密克戎变体的有效性对于抗击 COVID-19 至关重要，但在撰写本文时，缺乏使用全国性数据评估加强针疫苗效果的研究。本研究旨在调查马来西亚加强针在奥密克戎浪潮中对 COVID-19 感染和死亡的效果；(2) 方法：本研究使用了 2022 年 1 月 1 日至 3 月 31 日期间具有全国代表性的 COVID-19 数据，当时奥密克戎变体在马来西亚占主导地位。比较了每日新增感染、死亡、重症监护病房利用情况和 Rt 值。采用筛选方法预测 COVID-19 感染的疫苗效果，采用逻辑回归估计 COVID-19 相关死亡的疫苗效果，并比较 AZD1222、BNT162b2 和科兴疫苗的效果；(3) 结果：马来西亚的奥密克戎浪潮始于 2022 年 1 月底，于 2022 年 3 月 5 日达到高峰。截至撰写本文时，每日新增死亡、重症监护病房利用情况和有效繁殖值 (Rt) 的统计数据呈下降趋势。与未加强免疫的疫苗相比，加强免疫的疫苗在预防 COVID-19 感染方面的有效性为 95.4%（95%CI：95.4，95.4），而未加强免疫的疫苗为 87.2%（95%CI：87.2，87.2）。对于有症状感染，加强免疫的疫苗有效性为 97.4%（95%CI：97.4，97.4），未加强免疫的疫苗为 90.9%（95%CI：90.9，90.9）。对于 COVID-19 相关死亡，加强免疫的疫苗效果为 91.7%（95%CI：90.6，92.7），完全免疫的疫苗效果为 65.7%（95%CI：61.9，69.1）。从不同的疫苗作为加强针来看，AZD1222 的有效性为 95.2%（95%CI：92.7，96.8），BNT162b2 的有效性为 91.8%（95%CI：90.7，92.8），科兴疫苗的有效性为 88.8%（95%CI：84.9，91.7）。(4) 结论：加强免疫可有效提高对 COVID-19 的保护，包括对奥密克戎变体的保护。鉴于观察到的疫苗效果较低，建议科兴疫苗的接种者接种加强针，因为其疫苗效果较低。
