Hybrid immunity and protection against infection during the Omicron wave in Malta
By December 2021, administration of the third dose of COVID-19 vaccinations coincided with the spread of the Omicron variant in Europe. Questions had been raised on protection against infection conferred by previous vaccination and/or infection. Our study population included 252,433 participants fro...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2023-12-01
|
| Series: | Emerging Microbes and Infections |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22221751.2022.2156814 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849312806397018112 |
|---|---|
| author | John Paul Cauchi Ausra Dziugyte Maria-Louise Borg Tanya Melillo Graziella Zahra Christopher Barbara Jorgen Souness Steve Agius Neville Calleja Charmaine Gauci Pauline Vassallo Joaquin Baruch |
| author_facet | John Paul Cauchi Ausra Dziugyte Maria-Louise Borg Tanya Melillo Graziella Zahra Christopher Barbara Jorgen Souness Steve Agius Neville Calleja Charmaine Gauci Pauline Vassallo Joaquin Baruch |
| author_sort | John Paul Cauchi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | By December 2021, administration of the third dose of COVID-19 vaccinations coincided with the spread of the Omicron variant in Europe. Questions had been raised on protection against infection conferred by previous vaccination and/or infection. Our study population included 252,433 participants from the COVID-19 vaccination registry in Malta. Data were then matched with the national testing database. We collected vaccination status, vaccine brand, vaccination date, infection history, and age. Using logistic regression, we examined different combinations of vaccine dose, prior infection status and time, and the odds of infection during the period when the Omicron variant was the dominant variant in Malta. Participants infected with Sars-Cov-2 prior to the Omicron wave had a significantly lower odds of being infected with the Omicron variant. Additionally, the more recent the infection and the more recent the vaccination, the lower the odds of infection. Receiving a third dose within 20 weeks of the start of the Omicron wave in Malta offered similar odds of infection as receiving a second dose within the same period. Time since vaccination was a strong determinant against infection, as was previous infection status and the number of doses taken. This finding reinforces the importance of future booster dose provision especially to vulnerable populations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-307199a71a074e28be8df4dffcc96d3d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2222-1751 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Emerging Microbes and Infections |
| spelling | doaj-art-307199a71a074e28be8df4dffcc96d3d2025-08-20T03:52:57ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEmerging Microbes and Infections2222-17512023-12-0112110.1080/22221751.2022.2156814Hybrid immunity and protection against infection during the Omicron wave in MaltaJohn Paul Cauchi0Ausra Dziugyte1Maria-Louise Borg2Tanya Melillo3Graziella Zahra4Christopher Barbara5Jorgen Souness6Steve Agius7Neville Calleja8Charmaine Gauci9Pauline Vassallo10Joaquin Baruch11Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Unit (IDCU), Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Msida, MaltaInfectious Disease Prevention and Control Unit (IDCU), Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Msida, MaltaInfectious Disease Prevention and Control Unit (IDCU), Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Msida, MaltaInfectious Disease Prevention and Control Unit (IDCU), Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Msida, MaltaMolecular Diagnostics Pathology Department, Mater Dei Hospital, Msida, MaltaMolecular Diagnostics Pathology Department, Mater Dei Hospital, Msida, MaltaMater Dei Hospital, Msida, MaltaMater Dei Hospital, Msida, MaltaHealth Information and Research, Msida, MaltaMinistry for Health, Superintendent of Public Health, Msida, MaltaInfectious Disease Prevention and Control Unit (IDCU), Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Msida, MaltaInfectious Disease Prevention and Control Unit (IDCU), Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Msida, MaltaBy December 2021, administration of the third dose of COVID-19 vaccinations coincided with the spread of the Omicron variant in Europe. Questions had been raised on protection against infection conferred by previous vaccination and/or infection. Our study population included 252,433 participants from the COVID-19 vaccination registry in Malta. Data were then matched with the national testing database. We collected vaccination status, vaccine brand, vaccination date, infection history, and age. Using logistic regression, we examined different combinations of vaccine dose, prior infection status and time, and the odds of infection during the period when the Omicron variant was the dominant variant in Malta. Participants infected with Sars-Cov-2 prior to the Omicron wave had a significantly lower odds of being infected with the Omicron variant. Additionally, the more recent the infection and the more recent the vaccination, the lower the odds of infection. Receiving a third dose within 20 weeks of the start of the Omicron wave in Malta offered similar odds of infection as receiving a second dose within the same period. Time since vaccination was a strong determinant against infection, as was previous infection status and the number of doses taken. This finding reinforces the importance of future booster dose provision especially to vulnerable populations.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22221751.2022.2156814COVID-19vaccineshybrid immunitypublic healthomicron (B.1.1.529) |
| spellingShingle | John Paul Cauchi Ausra Dziugyte Maria-Louise Borg Tanya Melillo Graziella Zahra Christopher Barbara Jorgen Souness Steve Agius Neville Calleja Charmaine Gauci Pauline Vassallo Joaquin Baruch Hybrid immunity and protection against infection during the Omicron wave in Malta Emerging Microbes and Infections COVID-19 vaccines hybrid immunity public health omicron (B.1.1.529) |
| title | Hybrid immunity and protection against infection during the Omicron wave in Malta |
| title_full | Hybrid immunity and protection against infection during the Omicron wave in Malta |
| title_fullStr | Hybrid immunity and protection against infection during the Omicron wave in Malta |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hybrid immunity and protection against infection during the Omicron wave in Malta |
| title_short | Hybrid immunity and protection against infection during the Omicron wave in Malta |
| title_sort | hybrid immunity and protection against infection during the omicron wave in malta |
| topic | COVID-19 vaccines hybrid immunity public health omicron (B.1.1.529) |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22221751.2022.2156814 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT johnpaulcauchi hybridimmunityandprotectionagainstinfectionduringtheomicronwaveinmalta AT ausradziugyte hybridimmunityandprotectionagainstinfectionduringtheomicronwaveinmalta AT marialouiseborg hybridimmunityandprotectionagainstinfectionduringtheomicronwaveinmalta AT tanyamelillo hybridimmunityandprotectionagainstinfectionduringtheomicronwaveinmalta AT graziellazahra hybridimmunityandprotectionagainstinfectionduringtheomicronwaveinmalta AT christopherbarbara hybridimmunityandprotectionagainstinfectionduringtheomicronwaveinmalta AT jorgensouness hybridimmunityandprotectionagainstinfectionduringtheomicronwaveinmalta AT steveagius hybridimmunityandprotectionagainstinfectionduringtheomicronwaveinmalta AT nevillecalleja hybridimmunityandprotectionagainstinfectionduringtheomicronwaveinmalta AT charmainegauci hybridimmunityandprotectionagainstinfectionduringtheomicronwaveinmalta AT paulinevassallo hybridimmunityandprotectionagainstinfectionduringtheomicronwaveinmalta AT joaquinbaruch hybridimmunityandprotectionagainstinfectionduringtheomicronwaveinmalta |