Thread by @DrEricDing

📍BOOSTERS needed for everyone age 16+: data is clear from 3.4 million Pfizer vaccinated—while effectiveness against #COVID19 hospitalization hovers ~80-90%, effectiveness against infection wanes to 40-50% after 5 months. This is why to keep #MaskUp. 🧵
thelancet.com/action/showPdf…

2) And the waning appears to be slightly steeper for Delta than other variants. But mostly occurs across all variants. Though effectiveness is somewhat lower against Delta.

3) “Added value of this study: reductions in BNT162b2 effectiveness over time are likely to be primarily due to waning vaccine effectiveness rather than the delta variant escaping vaccine protection given that effectiveness against delta variant infections…”

4) “was more than 90% within 1 month of full vaccination, reductions in effectiveness in infections by time since being fully vaccinated were observed irrespective of SARS-CoV-2 variant, and effectiveness against hospital admissions due to delta variant was very high…

5) “Related to other findings from 🇮🇱, USA, & other countries, our findings underscore the importance of monitoring vaccine effectiveness over time & suggest that booster doses are likely to be needed to restore the initial high amounts of protection”

6) Yes I realize low income countries haven’t gotten many shots yet. But DO NOT HAVE THE ZERO SUM GAME mentality. I work in global health and many people have the zero sum mentality—that’s what many try to guilt you to think. The truth is we can ramp up low cost vaccines for all.

https://twitter.com/jburnmurdoch/status/1455247194647314448

7) another mega vaccine effectiveness study in NY state also found drops. health.ny.gov/press/releases…

FOR INFECTIONS:
•Between the weeks of May 1 and August 28, decreases in VE against laboratory-confirmed infections were…

8) decrease “greatest for Pfizer-BioNTech (-24.6% for 18-49, -19.1% for 50-64 and-14.1% for 65 and older), and similar for Moderna (-18.0% for 18-49, -11.6% for 50-64 and - 9.0% for 65 and older) and Janssen (-19.2% for 18-49, -10.8 for 50-64 and -10.9% for age 65+).

9) “However:
•The declines in VE for laboratory-confirmed infections occurredsimultaneouslyacross groups defined by age, product and month of vaccination, during the weeks when Delta variant rapidly increased, with the largest declines seen for Pfizer-BioNTech recipients.

10) “After the Delta variant exceeded 85% prevalence, these changes in VE plateaued, with more recently vaccinated people at higher protection levels in some groups. Modest continued declines in VE were seen for people 65 years of age and older.

11) “•These results suggest that declines in VE for infections occurred during the study time period but may have been driven primarily by factors other than immunological waning, such as the Delta variant or changes in COVID-19 prevention behaviors.

12) So which booster best? Mix it up IMHO. Take an mRNA though if possible. HT to @ScientistSwanda for the figure.

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1451418802416197633

13) Remember— vaccines protect you more. Don’t rely on the uncertain immunity from a direct infection. Some develop antibodies, some less, some don’t at all if infected. Plus infection dangerous and has #LongCovid. Get boosted.

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1454152775777103874