COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization due to SARS-CoV-2: A test-negative design study based on Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) sentinel surveillance in Spain

Background: With the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, influenza surveillance systems in Spain were transformed into a new syndromic sentinel surveillance system. The Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance System (SiVIRA in Spanish) is based on a sentinel network for acute respiratory infection (ARI) surveillance in primary care and a network of sentinel hospitals for severe ARI (SARI) surveillance in hospitals. Methods: Using a test-negative design and data from SARI admissions notified to SiVIRA between January 1 and October 3, 2021, we estimated COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) against hospitalization, by age group, vaccine type, time since vaccination, and SARS-CoV-2 variant. Results: VE was 89% (95% CI: 83-93) against COVID-19 hospitalization overall in persons aged 20 years and older. VE was higher for mRNA vaccines, and lower for those aged 80 years and older, with a decrease in protection beyond 3 months of completing vaccination, and a further decrease after 5 months. We found no differences between periods with circulation of Alpha or Delta SARS-CoV-2 variants, although variant-specific VE was slightly higher against Alpha. Conclusions: The SiVIRA sentinel hospital surveillance network in Spain was able to describe clinical and epidemiological characteristics of SARI hospitalizations and provide estimates of COVID-19 VE in the population under surveillance. Our estimates add to evidence of high effectiveness of mRNA vaccines against severe COVID-19 and waning of protection with time since vaccination in those aged 80 or older. No substantial differences were observed between SARS-CoV-2 variants (Alpha vs. Delta).The data of the study was originally collectedas part of the following projects run by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control:“Establishing Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) surveillance and performing hospital-based COVID-19 transmission studies”, “Developing an infrastructure and performing vaccine effectiveness studies for COVID-19 vaccines in the EU/EEA”, and the “Vaccine Effectiveness, Burden and Impact Studies(VEBIS) of COVID-19 and Influenza".S

multicentre analysis, I-MOVE-COVID-19 and ECDC networks, July to August 2021

Funding Information: This project received funding from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) under the contract ECD.11486. Funding Information: This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101003673. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). All rights reserved.Introduction: In July and August 2021, the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant dominated in Europe. Aim: Using a multicentre test-negative study, we measured COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) against symptomatic infection. Methods: Individuals with COVID-19 or acute respiratory symptoms at primary care/community level in 10 European countries were tested for SARS-CoV-2. We measured complete primary course overall VE by vaccine brand and by time since vaccination. Results: Overall VE was 74% (95% CI: 69-79), 76% (95% CI: 71-80), 63% (95% CI: 48-75) and 63% (95% CI: 16-83) among those aged 30-44, 45-59, 60-74 and ≥ 75 years, respectively. VE among those aged 30-59 years was 78% (95% CI: 75-81), 66% (95% CI: 58-73), 91% (95% CI: 87-94) and 52% (95% CI: 40-61), for Comirnaty, Vaxzevria, Spikevax and COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen, respectively. VE among people 60 years and older was 67% (95% CI: 52-77), 65% (95% CI: 48-76) and 83% (95% CI: 64-92) for Comirnaty, Vaxzevria and Spikevax, respectively. Comirnaty VE among those aged 30-59 years was 87% (95% CI: 83-89) at 14-29 days and 65% (95% CI: 56-71%) at ≥ 90 days between vaccination and onset of symptoms. Conclusions: VE against symptomatic infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant varied among brands, ranging from 52% to 91%. While some waning of the vaccine effect may be present (sample size limited this analysis to only Comirnaty), protection was 65% at 90 days or more between vaccination and onset.publishersversionpublishe

Qué debemos esperar en la próxima temporada de gripe

Artículo de divulgación publicado en The Conversation España el día 25/10/2021.La temporada gripal que acaba de comenzar deberá ser analizada detenidamente por lo diferente y excepcional, si se compara con temporadas epidémicas gripales anteriores.N

Rabies in Spain. A Peculiarity in Eurasia

Spain accounts for some natural and political features which have influenced the situation of rabies, making it peculiar in the context of Europe. Dog rabies was eradicated from Spain in 1965 and the European vulpine epizootic was stopped by the French Oral Rabies Vaccination programs (ORVs) and it never crossed the Pyrenees this fact implying the first peculiarity. The possibility of the movement of infected animals from endemic territories in North Africa into the Spanish territories of Ceuta and Melilla by land, causing imported cases regularly is another peculiarity of rabies in Spain. Indeed, the existence of an intense maritime traffic from these endemic territories into the Spanish mainland is another peculiar feature which constitutes a permanent high risk for rabies introduction in Spain. European bat lyssavirus 1 is the most frequently lyssavirus found infecting bats in Spain, as occurs in most European countries. Eptesicus serotinus accounts for more than the 95% of infected bats declared in Europe and are considered the natural reservoir of EBLV-1. However, in the southern half of the Iberian Peninsula, E. serotinus is replaced by the sibling specie Eptesicus isabellinus, which has been found frequently infected by EBLV-1. E. isabellinus is present also in the other side of the Gibraltar Strait along a Mediterranean strip in Northern Africa. This constitutes another peculiarity of rabies in Spain. Finally, a new putative lyssavirus called Lleida Bat Lyssavirus (LLEBV) has been reported from a Miniopterus scheibersii bat from Catalonia. It still remains as another peculiarity of rabies in Spain.Patricia Mingo-Casas was part-funded by a Residencia de Estudiantes (CSIC) Postgraduate Fellowship from Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO). This project was financially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) project MPY 1321/14 and Virginia Sandonís was supported by a contract of the internal research program of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III.S

Vaccine Effectiveness against Symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Adults Aged 65 Years and Older in Primary Care: I-MOVE-COVID-19 Project, Europe, December 2020 to May 2021

International audienceWe measured COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection at primary care/outpatient level among adults ≥q 65 years old using a multicentre test-negative design in eight European countries. We included 592 SARS-CoV-2 cases and 4,372 test-negative controls in the main analysis. The VE was 62% (95% CI: 45\textendash 74) for one dose only and 89% (95% CI: 79\textendash 94) for complete vaccination. COVID-19 vaccines provide good protection against COVID-19 presentation at primary care/outpatient level, particularly among fully vaccinated individuals

Effectiveness of complete primary vaccination against COVID-19 at primary care and community level during predominant Delta circulation in Europe: multicentre analysis, I-MOVE-COVID-19 and ECDC networks, July to August 2021.

This project received funding from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) under the contract ECD.11486. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101003673.Introduction : In July and August 2021, the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant dominated in Europe. Aim: Using a multicentre test-negative study, we measured COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) against symptomatic infection.  Methods : Individuals with COVID-19 or acute respiratory symptoms at primary care/community level in 10 European countries were tested for SARS-CoV-2. We measured complete primary course overall VE by vaccine brand and by time since vaccination.  Results : Overall VE was 74% (95% CI: 69-79), 76% (95% CI: 71-80), 63% (95% CI: 48-75) and 63% (95% CI: 16-83) among those aged 30-44, 45-59, 60-74 and ≥ 75 years, respectively. VE among those aged 30-59 years was 78% (95% CI: 75-81), 66% (95% CI: 58-73), 91% (95% CI: 87-94) and 52% (95% CI: 40-61), for Comirnaty, Vaxzevria, Spikevax and COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen, respectively. VE among people 60 years and older was 67% (95% CI: 52-77), 65% (95% CI: 48-76) and 83% (95% CI: 64-92) for Comirnaty, Vaxzevria and Spikevax, respectively. Comirnaty VE among those aged 30-59 years was 87% (95% CI: 83-89) at 14-29 days and 65% (95% CI: 56-71%) at ≥ 90 days between vaccination and onset of symptoms.  Conclusions : VE against symptomatic infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant varied among brands, ranging from 52% to 91%. While some waning of the vaccine effect may be present (sample size limited this analysis to only Comirnaty), protection was 65% at 90 days or more between vaccination and onset.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe