Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36184587›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2022

Estimating vaccine effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalization and death from ecologic data in Costa Rica.

Romain Fantin, Rolando Herrero, Allan Hildesheim, Cristina Barboza-Solís, Amada Aparicio, D Rebecca Prevots, Ruth M Pfeiffer, Mitchell H Gail, RESPIRA Study Group

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article 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 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 30% 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

6 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

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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

9 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Romain FantinCentro Centroamericano de Población, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, 2060, Costa Rica. ROMAIN.FANTIN@ucr.ac.cr.
Rolando HerreroAgencia Costarricense de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Fundación INCIENSA, San José, Costa Rica.
Allan HildesheimAgencia Costarricense de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Fundación INCIENSA, San José, Costa Rica.
Cristina Barboza-SolísFacultad de Odontología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.
Amada AparicioCentro de Desarrollo Estratégico e Información en Salud y Seguridad Social (CENDEISSS) Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social, San José, Costa Rica.
D Rebecca PrevotsEpidemiology and Population Studies Unit, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD, USA.
Ruth M PfeifferBiostatistics Branch, Division of Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Mitchell H GailBiostatistics Branch, Division of Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA. gailm@mail.nih.gov.
RESPIRA Study Group
Instituto Costarricense de Investigación y Enseñanza en Nutrición y Salud · CRNational Cancer Institute · USUniversidad de Costa Rica · CRCosta Rican Department of Social Security · CRNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundClinical trials and individual-level observational data in Israel demonstrated approximately 95% effectiveness of mRNA-based vaccines against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Individual-level data are not available in many countries, particularly low- and middle- income countries. Using a novel Poisson regression model, we analyzed ecologic data in Costa Rica to estimate vaccine effectiveness and assess the usefulness of this approach.

methodsWe used national data from December 1, 2020 to May 13, 2021 to ascertain incidence, hospitalizations and deaths within ecologic units defined by 14 age groups, gender, 105 geographic areas, and day of the epidemic. Within each unit we used the proportions of the population with one and with two vaccinations, primarily tozinameran. Using a non-standard Poisson regression model that included an ecologic-unit-specific rate factor to describe rates without vaccination and a factor that depended on vaccine effectiveness parameters and proportions vaccinated, we estimated vaccine effectiveness.

resultsIn 3.621 million persons aged 20 or older, there were 125,031 incident cases, 7716 hospitalizations, and 1929 deaths following SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis; 73% of those aged ≥ 75 years received two doses. For one dose, estimated effectiveness was 59% (95% confidence interval 53% to 64%) for SARS-CoV-2 incidence, 76% (68% to 85%) for hospitalizations, and 63% (47% to 80%) for deaths. For two doses, the respective estimates of effectiveness were 93% (90% to 96%), 100% (97% to 100%), and 100% (97% to 100%).

conclusionsThese effectiveness estimates agree well with findings from clinical trials and individual-level observational studies and indicate high effectiveness in the general population of Costa Rica. This novel statistical approach is promising for countries where ecologic, but not individual-level, data are available. The method could also be adapted to monitor vaccine effectiveness over calendar time.

Indexed as

COVID-19Costa RicaCOVID-19 TestingCOVID-19 VaccinesHospitalizationHumansSARS-CoV-2Vaccine EfficacyCOVID-19 VaccinesCOVID-19Ecologic estimate of vaccine effectivenessSARS-CoV-2Vaccine effectiveness

Identifiers

PMID36184587
PMCPMC9526815
OpenAlexW4299286040

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.