A comprehensive analysis of the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines

Abstract

The numbers of cases and deaths from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are continuously increasing. Many people are concerned about the efficacy and safety of the COVID-19 vaccines. We performed a comprehensive analysis of the published trials of COVID-19 vaccines and the real-world data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. Globally, our research found that the efficacy of all vaccines exceeded 70%, and RNA-based vaccines had the highest efficacy of 94.29%; moreover, Black or African American people, young people, and males may experience greater vaccine efficacy. The spectrum of vaccine-related adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is extremely broad, and the most frequent ADRs are pain, fatigue, and headache. Most ADRs are tolerable and are mainly grade 1 or 2 in severity. Some severe ADRs have been identified (thromboembolic events, 21-75 cases per million doses; myocarditis/pericarditis, 2-3 cases per million doses). In summary, vaccines are a powerful tool that can be used to control the COVID-19 pandemic, with high efficacy and tolerable ADRs. In addition, the spectrum of ADRs associated with the vaccines is broad, and most of the reactions appear within a week, although some may be delayed. Therefore, ADRs after vaccination need to be identified and addressed in a timely manner.

Evaluation of the BNT162b2 Covid-19 Vaccine in Children 5 to 11 Years of Age

“…Neither myocarditis nor pericarditis was observed, a finding consistent with the low frequency of these adverse events with real-world use of BNT162b2 in other age groups. 32 …”

The Importance of RNA-Based Vaccines in the Fight against COVID-19: An Overview

“…Mutations in the ORF1ab, ORF8, and nucleocapsid protein also occur [219]. Cai et al [220] reported a comprehensive analysis demonstrating that, in terms of efficacy, RNA-based vaccines are the most effective and are capable of reaching greater than 94% efficacy. The authors attribute this achievement to the strong immunogenicity and effective presentation of SARS-CoV-2 antigens to the immune system of these vaccines.…”

The efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines against the B.1.617.2 (delta) variant

“…We recently published a paper in Molecular Therapy that studies the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). 1 Here, we report analyses of the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines against the delta variant. We evaluated the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines from the perspective of overall infection, severe infection, and fatal infection, following receipt of 3 types of vaccines: messenger RNA (mRNA)-based vaccine; viral vector (non-replicating) vaccine; and inactivated vaccine (no data have been reported for other types of vaccines).…”