Risk of hospitalization and mortality after breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection by vaccine type utilizing medical claims data (Preprint)

UNSTRUCTURED Understanding the severity of SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections by vaccine type is important for making policy decisions regarding booster vaccinations. We compare the risks of hospitalization (n=1140) and mortality (n=159) in a SARS-CoV-2 positive cohort of 19,815 patients who were all fully vaccinated with either the Pfizer, Moderna or Janssen vaccines. Cox regression analysis comparing the three vaccines’ effectiveness in severity of the breakthrough infection showed lower hazard ratios for those receiving the Moderna vaccine and Pfizer vaccine (the lowest hazard rates being for Moderna), as compared to those who received the Janssen vaccine. Further, individuals who had a SARS-CoV-2 infection prior to vaccination had some increased protection over and above the protection already provided by the vaccines, from the risk of hospitalization (P<0.001) and mortality (P<0.05), independent of age, sex, comorbidities, and vaccine type.