Title
Effectiveness of the Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (Vero Cell) Vaccine in Peruvian Health Workers
Date Issued
01 September 2022
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Solis-Castro M.E.
Jaramillo-Corrales A.
Gonzalez Seminario R.V.
Janampa Grados N.
Mamani Pilco I.E.
Vargas Quispe K.E.
La Torre Rosillo L.Y.
Vásquez Dominguez M.N.
Enriquez Cusi D.T.
Minaya P.
Díaz-Vélez C.
Pachas V.A.
Alberca R.W.
Publisher(s)
MDPI
Abstract
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a global health crisis. Vaccines against this disease have demonstrated variable efficacy and safety, although effectiveness has not been evaluated. In February 2021, the Ministry of Health of Peru approved the emergency use of the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (Vero Cell) vaccine and initiated vaccination with health personnel at the national level. The objective of the study is to determine the effectiveness of this vaccine to reduce infections, hospitalizations, and deaths due to COVID-19. Methodology: We performed a retrospective cohort study in the period from 23 February to 26 June 2021; data were obtained from the Ministry of Health (including demographic, epidemiologic, clinical, hospital, laboratory results, deaths, and both date and quantity of vaccine doses delivered). The exposed cohort were those who received one or two vaccine doses and the non-exposed were unvaccinated. The events studied were infections, hospitalizations and deaths in the cohorts. We consider a case confirmed for COVID-19 if the test result was positive for SARS-CoV-2, via PCR or antigen test. Effectiveness was measured with incidence density ratio and risk. Confounding factors were controlled using a Poisson model with robust variance. Results: We enlisted 520,733 health workers, of whom 415,212 had two vaccine doses and 105,521 were unvaccinated. The median age was 40 years (IQR: 32–50), and 65.6% were female. The effectiveness of two vaccine doses fourteen days after application adjusted by age, sex, hospitalization, and antecedent of having the infection was 90.9% (95% CI: 85.5–94.2%); effectiveness to avoid death from COVID-19; 67.7% (60.1–73.8%) effectiveness to avoid hospitalizations; and 26.3% (23.8–28.6%) effectiveness to reduce the risk of infection by SARS-CoV-2 relative to the unvaccinated cohort. Conclusions: The inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (Vero Cell) vaccine used in two doses has an acceptable effectiveness against death and risk of hospitalization, whereas it has less effectiveness in preventing COVID-19 infection.
Volume
12
Issue
9
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Epidemiología Salud pública, Salud ambiental Medicina general, Medicina interna
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85138732507
Source
Life
ISSN of the container
20751729
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus