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[Preprint]. 2021 Aug 5:2021.08.03.21261496.
doi: 10.1101/2021.08.03.21261496.

Elapsed time since BNT162b2 vaccine and risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a large cohort

Ariel Israel  1 , Eugene Merzon  1   2 , Alejandro A Schäffer  3 , Yotam Shenhar  1 , Ilan Green  1   2 , Avivit Golan-Cohen  1   2 , Eytan Ruppin  3 , Eli Magen  1   4 , Shlomo Vinker  1   2
Affiliations

Elapsed time since BNT162b2 vaccine and risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a large cohort

Ariel Israel et al. medRxiv. .

Update in

Abstract

Importance: Israel was among the first countries to launch a large-scale COVID-19 vaccination campaign, and quickly vaccinated its population, achieving early control over the spread of the virus. However, the number of COVID-19 cases is now rapidly increasing, which may indicate that vaccine protection decreases over time.

Objective: To determine whether time elapsed since the second BNT162b2 messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech) injection is significantly associated with the risk of post-vaccination COVID-19 infection.

Design: This is a retrospective cohort study performed in a large state-mandated health care organization in Israel.

Participants: All fully vaccinated adults who have received a RT-PCR test between May 15, 2021 and July 26, 2021, at least two weeks after their second vaccine injection were included. Patients with a history of past COVID-19 infection were excluded.

Main outcome and measure: Positive result for the RT-PCR test.

Results: The cohort included 33,993 fully vaccinated adults, 49% women, with a mean age of 47 years (SD, 17 years), who received an RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 during the study period. The median time between the second dose of the vaccine and the RT-PCR test was 146 days, interquartile range [121-167] days. 608 (1.8%) patients had positive test results. There was a significantly higher rate of positive results among patients who received their second vaccine dose at least 146 days before the RT-PCR test compared to patients who have received their vaccine less than 146 days before: odds ratio for infection was 3.00 for patients aged over 60 (95% CI 1.86-5.11); 2.29 for patients aged between 40 and 59 (95% CI 1.67-3.17); and 1.74 for patients aged between 18 and 39 (95% CI 1.27-2.37); P<0.001 in each age group.

Conclusions and relevance: In this large population study of patients tested for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR following two doses of mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine, we observe a significant increase of the risk of infection in individuals who received their last vaccine dose since at least 146 days ago, particularly among patients older than 60.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported.

Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:
Flow diagram of the cohort
Figure 2:
Figure 2:
Comparison of the percentage of positive results among fully vaccinated individuals, according to time elapsed since the second vaccine dose *** P<0.001
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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