Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42182671›Full record

ArticleJournal of thoracic disease2026

Effectiveness of heterologous mRNA vaccine boosters during an Omicron wave of COVID-19: a cross-sectional study in Macao (China).

Jinghua Zhang, Boyuan Wang, Eric Lau, Zhiqi Zeng, Wei He, C L Philip Chen, Chiwai Chang, Zifeng Yang, Ka-Lok Tong, Nanshan Zhong and 1 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of thoracic disease, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

11 authors.

Jinghua ZhangRespiratory Disease AI Laboratory on Epidemic Intelligence and Medical Big Data Instrument Applications, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China.
Boyuan WangFaculty of Innovation Engineering, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China.
Eric LauSchool of Public Health, Li Ka Shing, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Zhiqi ZengState Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Wei HeRespiratory Disease AI Laboratory on Epidemic Intelligence and Medical Big Data Instrument Applications, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China.
C L Philip ChenThe Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Computational Intelligence and Cyberspace Information, The School of Computer Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.
Chiwai ChangFaculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau, China.
Zifeng YangRespiratory Disease AI Laboratory on Epidemic Intelligence and Medical Big Data Instrument Applications, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China.
Ka-Lok TongRespiratory Disease AI Laboratory on Epidemic Intelligence and Medical Big Data Instrument Applications, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China.
Nanshan ZhongState Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Chitin HonRespiratory Disease AI Laboratory on Epidemic Intelligence and Medical Big Data Instrument Applications, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Inactivated vaccines have been widely used in China and many low- and middle-income countries, but real-world evidence on the protective effectiveness of heterologous mRNA boosters after a SinoPharm primary regimen during Omicron waves in Chinese populations remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the real-world infection protection effectiveness of a SinoPharm primary regimen with mRNA boosters during the 2022 Omicron (BF.7 and BA5.2 variants) wave in Macao, China. Methods: An online survey conducted for two days among Macao residents towards the end of the 2022 Omicron wave gathered 4,879 responses (61.7% female, n=3,010). Among the participants, 83.2% (n=4,052) reported receiving the SinoPharm primary vaccination regimen, while 20% (n=827) reported receiving mRNA boosters; 71.4% of respondents reported confirmed infections, with an average duration of 5.4 days testing positive. Logistic and Ordinary Least Squared regressions were utilized to analyze the infection risk and the number of days testing positive. Results: When compared to those who received a three-dose inactivated vaccine, those with one-dose mRNA booster shows a significantly lower likelihood of confirmed infection [odds ratio (OR) =0.421, P<0.01]. In the event of an infection, they also experienced a decreased likelihood of developing fever (OR =0.290, P<0.01), and fewer sick days (-0.931, P<0.05). Conclusions: Heterologous vaccination is recommendable for both the Chinese population and other low-to-middle-income countries that have predominantly adopted inactivated vaccines as their primary regimen. Future studies are needed to examine the long-term effects, which could not be assessed in this survey.

Indexed as

coronavirus disease 2019 Omicron wave (COVID-19 Omicron wave)Heterologous vaccine boosterinactivated vaccineMacao (China)mRNA booster protection

Identifiers

PMID42182671
PMCPMC13190089

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.