Older and frail residents in qualified nursing centers saw a 63% drop in the risk of COVID-19 infection after at least one dose of the Pfizer vaccine, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) .
The CDC researchers said the findings revealed a “significant reduction in risk” of contracting infection among this vulnerable group that was not counted in clinical trials, thus raising questions about the vaccine’s effectiveness.
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The results came from 463 residents at two qualified nursing facilities in Connecticut. Age and race were similar on the premises; over 90% of residents in each facility were white, according to available data.
Vaccination with the jab developed by Pfizer-BioNTech started at the facility in late December through a federal pharmacy program in long-term care facilities. The state health department teamed up with the CDC to evaluate patients’ electronic records for vaccinations and infections.
“Partial vaccination, defined as the period of> 14 days after the first dose to 7 days after the second dose, had an estimated effectiveness of 63%,” wrote the CDC researchers, finding that the results were similar compared to adults in all age groups. For example, a final-stage clinical trial indicated a vaccine effectiveness of 52% between the first and second doses. In addition, the findings of the vaccine launch in Israel revealed that the Pfizer vaccine reduced documented infections by 46% 14-20 days after an initial dose.
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“To optimize the impact of the vaccine among this population, a high coverage with the complete series of 2 doses should be recommended for SNF [skilled nursing facility] residents and team members, “wrote the CDC researchers.
The report noted that 24.8% of residents had confirmed infections less than three months before the investigation began. During the study period, 97 infections emerged, with 89% of cases involving at least one symptom. At the end of the investigations, in mid-February, 66% of residents were fully vaccinated, 16% had received a dose and the rest had not yet received the vaccine.
“Even during a major disease outbreak in a long-term care setting, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine provided protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection, including in older adults ≥65 years of age with a high prevalence of conditions underlying medical conditions, “the report continued.
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The study authors noted that separate evidence suggested that immunity from the previous infection may combine to increase protection after just a single dose, but the report was unable to assess the impact of the previous infection due to the high vaccination rates of the first dose and one single case of reinfection.
The report had its limitations, including 30% of missing data on ethnicity and a small sample size that prevented conclusions about outcomes such as hospitalization or death.