Effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Vaccines Against COVID-19 Among Hospitalized Adults Aged ≥65 Years - United States, January-March 2021.

07 May 2021
Tenforde MW, Olson SM, Self WH, Talbot HK, Lindsell CJ, Steingrub JS, Shapiro NI, Ginde AA, Douin DJ, Prekker ME, Brown SM, Peltan ID, Gong MN, Mohamed A, Khan A, Exline MC, Files DC, Gibbs KW, Stubblefield WB, Casey JD, Rice TW, Grijalva CG, Hager DN, Shehu A, Qadir N, Chang SY, Wilson JG, Gaglani M, Murthy K, Calhoun N, Monto AS, Martin ET, Malani A, Zimmerman RK, Silveira FP, Middleton DB, Zhu Y, Wyatt D, Stephenson M, Baughman A, Womack KN, Hart KW, Kobayashi M, Verani JR, Patel MM, IVY Network., HAIVEN Investigators.

Adults aged ≥65 years are at increased risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19 and were identified as a priority group to receive the first COVID-19 vaccines approved for use under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in the United States (1-3). In an evaluation at 24 hospitals in 14 states,* the effectiveness of partial or full vaccination with Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines against COVID-19-associated hospitalization was assessed among adults aged ≥65 years. Among 417 hospitalized adults aged ≥65 years (including 187 case-patients and 230 controls), the median age was 73 years, 48% were female, 73% were non-Hispanic White, 17% were non-Hispanic Black, 6% were Hispanic, and 4% lived in a long-term care facility. Adjusted vaccine effectiveness (VE) against COVID-19-associated hospitalization among adults aged ≥65 years was estimated to be 94% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 49%-99%) for full vaccination and 64% (95% CI = 28%-82%) for partial vaccination. These findings are consistent with efficacy determined from clinical trials in the subgroup of adults aged ≥65 years (4,5). This multisite U.S. evaluation under real-world conditions suggests that vaccination provided protection against COVID-19-associated hospitalization among adults aged ≥65 years. Vaccination is a critical tool for reducing severe COVID-19 in groups at high risk.