One dose versus two doses of COVID‐19 vaccine for the prevention of breakthrough infections among people previously infected with SARS‐Cov‐2

Abstract

Studies have suggested the effectiveness of COVID‐19 vaccines in preventing SARS‐CoV‐2 reinfection among those previously infected. However, it is not yet clear if one dose of the vaccine is enough to prevent breakthrough infections compared to two doses. Using data from Optum deidentified COVID‐19 Electronic Health Record (EHR) data set, we assessed breakthrough infection risks in individuals previously infected, comparing those with one vaccine dose to those with two doses. Propensity scores were applied to mitigate confounding factors. Follow‐up spanned 6 months, beginning 2 weeks postvaccination. Among 213 845 individuals, those receiving one vaccine dose had a significantly higher breakthrough infection risk than the two‐dose group (HR 1.69, 95% CI 1.54–1.85). This pattern was observed across genders, racial/ethnic groups, age categories, and vaccine types. This study reveals a substantial disparity in the risk of breakthrough infections between individuals receiving one versus two doses of the COVID‐19 vaccine, suggesting that a single dose may not provide adequate protection against reinfection.