TY - JOUR
T1 - Effectiveness and durability of a fourth dose of ancestral-strain mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 infection
T2 - a nationwide matched cohort study in Qatar
AU - Sukik, Layan
AU - Chemaitelly, Hiam
AU - Ayoub, Houssein H.
AU - Coyle, Peter
AU - Tang, Patrick
AU - Hasan, Mohammad R.
AU - Yassine, Hadi M.
AU - Al Thani, Asmaa A.
AU - Al-Kanaani, Zaina
AU - Al-Kuwari, Einas
AU - Jeremijenko, Andrew
AU - Kaleeckal, Anvar Hassan
AU - Latif, Ali Nizar
AU - Shaik, Riyazuddin Mohammad
AU - Abdul-Rahim, Hanan F.
AU - Nasrallah, Gheyath K.
AU - Al-Kuwari, Mohamed Ghaith
AU - Butt, Adeel A.
AU - Al-Romaihi, Hamad Eid
AU - Al-Thani, Mohamed H.
AU - Al-Khal, Abdullatif
AU - Abu-Raddad, Laith J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2025.
PY - 2025/12
Y1 - 2025/12
N2 - Concerns about waning immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and the emergence of new variants underscore the need for booster doses. Using a matched cohort design, this study evaluated the relative effectiveness and durability of a fourth dose of ancestral-strain mRNA vaccines (BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273) in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection, compared to three doses, between February 10, 2021 and May 13, 2024 in Qatar. The fourth dose conferred modest additional protection against infection, with an adjusted hazard ratio for infection of 0.91 (95% CI: 0.81–1.02), corresponding to a relative vaccine effectiveness of 9.2% (95% CI: − 1.7 to 18.9%). Protection peaked within the first three months of vaccination at 35.0% (95% CI: 20.6–46.8%) but waned rapidly thereafter, becoming negligible beyond that period. These findings highlight the modest and short-term protection of ancestral-strain vaccines against omicron subvariants and support the need for next-generation vaccines offering more durable immunity.
AB - Concerns about waning immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and the emergence of new variants underscore the need for booster doses. Using a matched cohort design, this study evaluated the relative effectiveness and durability of a fourth dose of ancestral-strain mRNA vaccines (BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273) in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection, compared to three doses, between February 10, 2021 and May 13, 2024 in Qatar. The fourth dose conferred modest additional protection against infection, with an adjusted hazard ratio for infection of 0.91 (95% CI: 0.81–1.02), corresponding to a relative vaccine effectiveness of 9.2% (95% CI: − 1.7 to 18.9%). Protection peaked within the first three months of vaccination at 35.0% (95% CI: 20.6–46.8%) but waned rapidly thereafter, becoming negligible beyond that period. These findings highlight the modest and short-term protection of ancestral-strain vaccines against omicron subvariants and support the need for next-generation vaccines offering more durable immunity.
KW - Booster
KW - COVID-19
KW - Epidemiologic study
KW - Immunity
KW - Pandemic
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105018282484
U2 - 10.1038/s41598-025-19168-3
DO - 10.1038/s41598-025-19168-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 41062635
AN - SCOPUS:105018282484
SN - 2045-2322
VL - 15
JO - Scientific Reports
JF - Scientific Reports
IS - 1
M1 - 35179
ER -