Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39046982›Full record

ArticlePloS one2024

Estimation of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against infections and severe outcomes using routine surveillance data in Kosovo, July-September 2021.

Albiona Rashiti-Bytyçi, Emily White Johansson, Pranvera Kaçaniku-Gunga, Kostas Danis, Anja Schoeps, Achim Dörre, Fetije Fetaj, Arijana Kalaveshi

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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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

8 authors.

Albiona Rashiti-BytyçiNational Institute of Public Health, (NIPHK), Prishtina, Kosovo.ORCID 0000-0003-4883-2298
Emily White JohanssonEuropean Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden.
Pranvera Kaçaniku-GungaNational Institute of Public Health, (NIPHK), Prishtina, Kosovo.
Kostas DanisThe Mediterranean and Black Sea Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (MediPIET), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden.
Anja SchoepsLandesuntersuchungsamt Rheinland-Pfalz, Koblenz, Germany.
Achim DörrePostgraduate Training for Applied Epidemiology (PAE), Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Berlin, Germany.
Fetije FetajNational Institute of Public Health, (NIPHK), Prishtina, Kosovo.
Arijana KalaveshiNational Institute of Public Health, (NIPHK), Prishtina, Kosovo.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCOVID-19 vaccines have proven effective against severe outcomes in many settings, yet vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates remain lacking for Kosovo. We aimed to estimate VE against COVID-19 infections, hospitalisations, and deaths for one and two vaccine doses during the fourth pandemic wave in July-September 2021, the period when vaccination initially became widely available.

methodsWe analysed routine surveillance data to define cases and vaccination status as partially (one dose) or completely (two doses) vaccinated. We used the screening method to calculate the proportion of cases with the outcomes vaccinated (PCV). The proportion of the population vaccinated (PPV) was based on numbers vaccinated and the Kosovo population estimate on 30/09/2021.

resultsBetween July-September 2021, 51,804 COVID-19 cases were reported in Kosovo with 9.3% of cases partially and 3.4% completely vaccinated. Estimated vaccine effectiveness for one dose was 93.1% (95%CI:92.9-93.2%) for infections, 90.3% (95%CI:88.8-91.7%) for hospitalisations, and 90.3% (95%CI:88.4-92.1%) for deaths. Estimated vaccine effectiveness for two doses was 97.8% (95%CI:97.6-97.9%) for infections, 94.5% (95%CI:93.3-95.6%) for hospitalisations, and 94.2% (95%CI: 93.7-96.5%) for deaths.

conclusionsThis study provides real-world evidence for COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness in Kosovo using routine administrative data sources and the screening method. COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against infections and severe outcomes in Kosovo was higher with two vaccine doses than one dose, which is in accordance with findings from other study designs and settings. Using the screening method in our study reflects an important initial methodology for estimating vaccine effectiveness with routine surveillance that may be particularly important for low- and middle-income settings with less robust surveillance systems or fewer opportunities to conduct more robust vaccine effectiveness study designs.

Indexed as

COVID-19COVID-19 VaccinesSARS-CoV-2Vaccine EfficacyAdolescentAdultAgedChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHospitalizationHumansKosovoMaleMiddle AgedVaccinationCOVID-19 Vaccines

Identifiers

PMID39046982
PMCPMC11268608

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.