Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35525973›Full record

SynthesisBMC infectious diseases2022

SARS-CoV-2 vaccine effectiveness against infection, symptomatic and severe COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Paddy Ssentongo, Anna E Ssentongo, Navya Voleti, Destin Groff, Ashley Sun, Djibril M Ba, Jonathan Nunez, Leslie J Parent, Vernon M Chinchilli, Catharine I Paules

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC infectious diseases, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 174 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
174citing papers in PubMed, 9 pooled it
26.1field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

174 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 263 citations in OpenAlex.

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  13. Sociodemographic and Lifestyle Factors Associated With COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake in a Mixed Urban-Rural Population in Eastern Poland.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2026
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114 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Paddy Ssentongo *Department of Public Health Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine and Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, 90 Hope Drive, Suite 2404L, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA. pssentongo@pennstatehealth.psu.edu.
Anna E Ssentongo *Department of Public Health Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine and Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, 90 Hope Drive, Suite 2404L, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA.
Navya VoletiDepartment of Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine and Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA.
Destin GroffPenn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
Ashley SunPenn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
Djibril M BaDepartment of Public Health Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine and Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, 90 Hope Drive, Suite 2404L, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA.
Jonathan NunezDivision of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Penn State Hershey College of Medicine and Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA.
Leslie J ParentDivision of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology, Departments of Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
Vernon M Chinchilli *Department of Public Health Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine and Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, 90 Hope Drive, Suite 2404L, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA.
Catharine I Paules *Division of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Penn State Hershey College of Medicine and Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA.
Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe temporal evolution of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine efficacy and effectiveness (VE) against infection, symptomatic, and severe COVID-19 is incompletely defined. The temporal evolution of VE could be dependent on age, vaccine types, variants of the virus, and geographic region. We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the duration of VE against SARS-CoV-2 infection, symptomatic COVID-19 and severe COVID-19.

methodsMEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the World Health Organization Global Literature on Coronavirus Disease, and CoronaCentral databases were searched and studies were selected. Independent reviewers selected randomized controlled trials and cohort studies with the outcome of interest. Independent reviewers extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias. Meta-analysis was performed with the DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model with Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman variance correction. The GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach was used to assess certainty (quality) of the evidence. Primary outcomes included VE as a function of time against SARS-CoV-2 infection, symptomatic and severe COVID-19.

resultsEighteen studies were included representing nearly 7 million individuals. VE against all SARS-CoV-2 infections declined from 83% in the first month after completion of the original vaccination series to 22% at 5 months or longer. Similarly, VE against symptomatic COVID-19 declined from 94% in the first month after vaccination to 64% by the fourth month. VE against severe COVID-19 for all ages was high overall, with the level being 90% (95% CI, 87-92%) at five months or longer after being fully vaccinated. VE against severe COVID-19 was lower in individuals ≥ 65 years and those who received Ad26.COV2.S.

conclusionsVE against SARS-CoV-2 infection and symptomatic COVID-19 waned over time but protection remained high against severe COVID-19. These data can be used to inform public health decisions around the need for booster vaccination.

Indexed as

COVID-19COVID-19 VaccinesAd26COVS1ChildHumansSARS-CoV-2Vaccine EfficacyAd26COVS1COVID-19 VaccinesCOVID-19Vaccine effectivenessWaning immunity

Identifiers

PMID35525973
PMCPMC9077344
OpenAlexW4229081322

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.