Reduction in COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Seoul according to Age, Sex, and Symptoms: A Test-Negative Case-Control Study

Abstract

Background: We evaluated vaccine effectiveness (VE) against infections with SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in Seoul, the capital of the Republic of Korea, having the highest population density in the country, under real-world conditions. Methods: We evaluated the reduction in the effectiveness of mRNA and viral-vector COVID-19 vaccines against infection by the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant in a subpopulation from April 2021 to July 2021 who visited screening clinics in Seoul using a test-negative case-control study design. Moreover, we conducted a case-control study matching the ten-year-old age group, sex, healthcare workers, and five districts of Seoul, which are considered confounding factors. Results: The full VE in the pre-delta-dominant period was 95.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 91.2–97.2); however, it decreased to 61.1% (95% CI: 53.2–67.6) during the delta-dominant period. Notably, we found that COVID-19 VE was significantly decreased in individuals aged ≥80 years (52.9%, 95% CI: −9.9–79.8), men (50.6 %, 95% CI: 39.4–59.8), and asymptomatic individuals (49.8%, 95% CI: 36.5–60.3) during the widespread SARS-CoV-2 delta variant circulation. Conclusions: Vaccine-mediated protection drastically declined during the delta-dominant period and in vulnerable groups. This study suggests the requirement for additional countermeasures, such as the administration of a booster vaccine, in vulnerable groups based on age, sex, and symptomatic manifestation.