Top 5 Takeaways

1. High Vaccine Effectiveness: The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine showed 92% effectiveness in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection among adolescents aged 12–17 years under real-world conditions.
2. Study Design: A prospective cohort study involving 243 adolescents in Arizona, who underwent weekly SARS-CoV-2 testing for 19 weeks.
3. Adjusted Analysis: The vaccine effectiveness estimate was adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, health information, social contact frequency, mask use, location, and local virus circulation.
4. Delta Variant Predominance: The study period coincided with the predominance of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant, providing relevant data for this variant.
5. Public Health Implications: The findings support the CDC’s recommendation for COVID-19 vaccination for all eligible persons, including adolescents aged 12–17 years.

Original Article Author and Citation

Corresponding Author

Mark Thompson, mthompson2@cdc.gov

Suggested Citation

Lutrick K, Rivers P, Yoo YM, et al. Interim Estimate of Vaccine Effectiveness of BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) Vaccine in Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Adolescents Aged 12–17 Years — Arizona, July–December 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021;70:1761–1765. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm705152a2

Summary

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has shown high efficacy in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection in adolescents during randomized Phase III trials. This study evaluated the vaccine’s effectiveness in a real-world setting among 243 adolescents aged 12–17 years in Arizona. The vaccine demonstrated 92% effectiveness in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection, irrespective of symptom status, during a period when the Delta variant was predominant. These findings support the CDC’s recommendation for COVID-19 vaccination in this age group.

Methods

The study was part of the PROTECT cohort, focusing on adolescents aged 12–17 years in Arizona. Participants were tested weekly for SARS-CoV-2 using RT-PCR, regardless of symptoms, and additional tests were conducted upon the onset of COVID-19-like illness. Vaccine effectiveness was estimated using the Cox proportional-hazards model, adjusted for various sociodemographic and health factors, mask use, and local virus circulation.

Discussion

The study found that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is highly effective in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection among adolescents in real-world conditions. The findings are consistent with previous Phase III trials and observational studies. The study’s prospective design and frequent testing enhance the scientific rigor of the results. However, limitations include the small sample size, potential confounding factors, and the study’s restriction to Arizona adolescents, which may limit generalizability.

Conclusion

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is highly effective in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection among adolescents aged 12–17 years in real-world conditions. These findings reinforce the importance of COVID-19 vaccination for eligible adolescents to mitigate the spread of the virus, especially during periods of variant predominance.

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