Vaccination and Transmission Risk during the Outbreak of B.1.1.529 (Omicron)
Since its first description in November 2021, the SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern Omicron (B.1.1.529) has emerged as the dominant strain in the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, it remains unclear if boosted vaccination protects against transmission. Using data from the largest German Public Health Departme...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Vaccines |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/10/7/1003 |
| _version_ | 1797443295004065792 |
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| author | Barbara Grüne Jakob Grüne Annelene Kossow Christine Joisten |
| author_facet | Barbara Grüne Jakob Grüne Annelene Kossow Christine Joisten |
| author_sort | Barbara Grüne |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Since its first description in November 2021, the SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern Omicron (B.1.1.529) has emerged as the dominant strain in the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, it remains unclear if boosted vaccination protects against transmission. Using data from the largest German Public Health Department, Cologne, we analyzed breakthrough infections in booster-vaccinated infected persons (IP; booster-vaccinated group (BVG); <i>n</i> = 202) and fully vaccinated, not boosted SARS-COV2-positive patients (>3 month after receiving the second dose; unboosted, fully vaccinated group (FVG); <i>n</i> = 202) to close contacts compared to an age- and sex-matched unvaccinated control group (UCG; <i>n</i> = 202). On average, IPs had 0.42 ± 0.52 infected contacts in relation to the total number of contacts in the BVG vs. 0.57 ± 0.44 in the FVG vs. 0.56 ± 0.43 in the UVG (<i>p</i> = 0.054). In the median test, pairwise comparison revealed a significant difference between the BVG and both other groups; no difference was found between the fully vaccinated and the unvaccinated control group. Now, these findings must be verified in larger samples, considering the role of Omicron subvariants and the vaccination status of the contact person. However, the importance of the booster vaccination in breaking possible chains of infection in the immune escape variant Omicron is obvious. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:53:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-71509201bf8c4cfa92106d6f8c1662ba |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-393X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:53:54Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Vaccines |
| spelling | doaj.art-71509201bf8c4cfa92106d6f8c1662ba2023-11-30T22:02:22ZengMDPI AGVaccines2076-393X2022-06-01107100310.3390/vaccines10071003Vaccination and Transmission Risk during the Outbreak of B.1.1.529 (Omicron)Barbara Grüne0Jakob Grüne1Annelene Kossow2Christine Joisten3Public Health Department Cologne, Infektions- und Umwelthygiene, 50667 Köln, GermanyPublic Health Department Cologne, Infektions- und Umwelthygiene, 50667 Köln, GermanyPublic Health Department Cologne, Infektions- und Umwelthygiene, 50667 Köln, GermanyPublic Health Department Cologne, Infektions- und Umwelthygiene, 50667 Köln, GermanySince its first description in November 2021, the SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern Omicron (B.1.1.529) has emerged as the dominant strain in the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, it remains unclear if boosted vaccination protects against transmission. Using data from the largest German Public Health Department, Cologne, we analyzed breakthrough infections in booster-vaccinated infected persons (IP; booster-vaccinated group (BVG); <i>n</i> = 202) and fully vaccinated, not boosted SARS-COV2-positive patients (>3 month after receiving the second dose; unboosted, fully vaccinated group (FVG); <i>n</i> = 202) to close contacts compared to an age- and sex-matched unvaccinated control group (UCG; <i>n</i> = 202). On average, IPs had 0.42 ± 0.52 infected contacts in relation to the total number of contacts in the BVG vs. 0.57 ± 0.44 in the FVG vs. 0.56 ± 0.43 in the UVG (<i>p</i> = 0.054). In the median test, pairwise comparison revealed a significant difference between the BVG and both other groups; no difference was found between the fully vaccinated and the unvaccinated control group. Now, these findings must be verified in larger samples, considering the role of Omicron subvariants and the vaccination status of the contact person. However, the importance of the booster vaccination in breaking possible chains of infection in the immune escape variant Omicron is obvious.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/10/7/1003booster vaccinationunvaccinated infected persontransmissionOmicron variant |
| spellingShingle | Barbara Grüne Jakob Grüne Annelene Kossow Christine Joisten Vaccination and Transmission Risk during the Outbreak of B.1.1.529 (Omicron) Vaccines booster vaccination unvaccinated infected person transmission Omicron variant |
| title | Vaccination and Transmission Risk during the Outbreak of B.1.1.529 (Omicron) |
| title_full | Vaccination and Transmission Risk during the Outbreak of B.1.1.529 (Omicron) |
| title_fullStr | Vaccination and Transmission Risk during the Outbreak of B.1.1.529 (Omicron) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vaccination and Transmission Risk during the Outbreak of B.1.1.529 (Omicron) |
| title_short | Vaccination and Transmission Risk during the Outbreak of B.1.1.529 (Omicron) |
| title_sort | vaccination and transmission risk during the outbreak of b 1 1 529 omicron |
| topic | booster vaccination unvaccinated infected person transmission Omicron variant |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/10/7/1003 |
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