The absolute risk reduction of the COVID-19 Vaccines are: Pfizer-BioNTech - 0.84 %. Note the author's statement "Relative risks, then, can . In the early days of the "vaccine" rollout, we ran several articles discussing the risk-reward of the new mRNA jabs. Trogen B, Caplan A. Approximately 96 COVID-19 vaccines are at various stages of . Clearly, higher the value of vaccine efficacy, the better the performance of the potential vaccine. In the context of COVID, Kissler explains, absolute risk reduction compares how much your risk reduces by getting a vaccine. Volume 53, Issue 2, March-April 2022, Page 63-66. Preliminary results from mRNA COVID-19 vaccines suggested a relative risk reduction for confirmed COVID-19 cases of around 95% in the vaccinated compared with the placebo group, which has no doubt contributed to driving public adherence to vaccination.7 It may have been much less the case had the absolute risk reduction been discussed, which . The absence of reported absolute risk reduction in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials can lead to outcome reporting bias that affects the interpretation of vaccine efficacy. The Pfizer/Biontech Covid Vaccine generates a relative . 5. On 15 March 2022, . Categorical variables were presented as absolute numbers and percentages, and . Addendum October 23, 2021: A new article about the Pfizer Booster shot can be read here: The Absolute Risk Reduction of the Pfizer Biontech Booster Shot. A subsequent Lancet article argued these relative risk reduction figures should be published alongside absolute risk reduction figures, a totally different measurement which the article said were around 1 to 2 percentage points for the vaccines. . Interpreting Clinical Trial Results in the Context of Relative and Absolute Risk Reduction. Expert Rev Vaccines. Covid-19 vaccines approved for use in the UK do effectively prevent symptomatic Covid-19, as . Absolute risk estimates should be interpreted in this context. Let's define relative and absolute risks: . Dr Sadaf Gilani, in particular, did good detailed write-ups on "absolute risk reduction". The Moderna Covid Vaccine generates a relative risk reduction of 94.1 % but only 1.1 % if looked at on the basis of absolute risk reduction. Are there long-term benefits? . The Number Needed To Vaccinate (NNTV) = 256 (1/0.0039), which means that to prevent just 1 Covid-19 case . In this blog post, I explore the effectiveness of flu shots from a statistical viewpoint. A CDC study posted last week found that risk of coronavirus infection dropped by 90% two weeks after receiving a second and final dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, and by 80% two weeks . It is customary yet inappropriate to compare vaccine efficacies and make policy decisions solely on relative risk reduction (RRR) from clinical trials with different protocols in populations with different background risks for COVID-19--unless vaccines were tested within a common trial as advocated by WHO.3 RRR focusses on those who benefit . Relative risk (RR) for vaccination = 0.093, which translates into a "vaccine effectiveness" of 90.7% [100 (1-0.093)]. My daughter - a child under 10 with no underlying health issues - is currently at essentially zero risk from Covid-19. Ann Intern Med 2021; 174(6):858-859. In the early days of the "vaccine" rollout, we ran several articles discussing the risk-reward of the new mRNA jabs. Reporting absolute risk reduction measures is essential to prevent outcome reporting bias in evaluation of COVID-19 vaccine efficacy. For example, let's say there's a vaccine study, where 100 people get . Massive economic inequality, poverty and structural racism, in addition to intellectual property laws and regulations, are creating the conditions for gaping inequities in COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Absolute risk . COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing symptomatic and severe COVID-19;1 however, some populations remain at risk as SARS-CoV-2 continues to circulate.2 Older adults, individuals with multiple comorbidities, and those who are immunocompromised are at risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes from breakthrough infections, especially as new variants emerge that might confer decreased . There are numerous safety concerns regarding the COVID-19 vaccines. No COVID-19 vaccine Relative (95% CI) Absolute (95% CI) Symptomatic laboratory-confirmed COVID-19: 1: RCT: not serious a: not serious: serious b,c,d: not serious: none: 173/19514 (0.9%) 509/19544 (2.6%) . What Does COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy Really Mean? That means if I walked up the stairs 100 times, 10 falls would be prevented if I wear comfortable shoes. In the context of COVID, Kissler explains, absolute risk reduction compares how much your risk reduces by getting a vaccine. Risk compensation, when there is a reduction in adherence to protective measures as a . . In addition, they propose that absolute risk reduction (ARR) should be reported as a measure of the vaccine's effectiveness. Abstract. In the context of COVID, Kissler explains, absolute risk reduction compares how much your risk reduces by getting a vaccine. In the end for COVID vaccines, the relative risk reduction actually **understates** the value because it's just considering the individual risk issue not the societal risk issue. Guest Post by Kit Knightly Analysis of official data shows the risks attached to Covid "vaccine" far outweighs any theoretical reward. Any potential benefit of vaccination for the already infected, especially those that are young and healthy, would involve an absolute risk reduction so small as to make the intervention pointless. 6. At the time of this writing (January 2022), just 9.7 . There were three COVID-19-reported deaths in the tixagevimab-cilgavimab . For example, let's say there's a vaccine study, where 100 people get . . Using absolute risk reduction to guide the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines Ella Fassler ,1 Andrew Larkin ,1 Kesavan Rajasekharan Nayar ,2,3 Howard Waitzkin 1,4 EBM opinion and debate 1Allende Program in Social Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA 2Global Institute of Public Health, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India The first Pfizer vaccine dose was an estimated 91% effective in reducing hospitalizations 28 to 34 days later, compared with 88% . The absolute risk reduction is actually right around 1% for all currently available COVID shots. Guest Post by Kit Knightly Analysis of official data shows the risks attached to Covid "vaccine" far outweighs any theoretical reward. We rated . Inaccurate: The biodistribution study found that the injection site retained the highest concentration of lipid nanoparticles, not the ovaries. • The absolute risk reductionis the arithmetic difference between the event rates in the two groups. But a better way to think about it is really 95% effectiveness, or efficacy, translates to a reduction of the risk by 95%, compared to people who do not get the vaccine. As a commentary in Lancet Microbe pointed out last month, even with trials on tens of thousands of people, the absolute risk reductions in Covid-19 vaccine trials are teensy-tiny—a reduction in . This sounds impressive, but the absolute risk reduction for an individual is only about 0.4% (0.0043-0.0004=0.0039). Interpreting Clinical Trial Results in the Context of Relative and Absolute Risk Reduction. Box 3 explains the difference between absolute and relative risk reduction. The Lancet article argues that absolute risk reduction figures should be included alongside relative reduction figures when vaccine studies are reported. Dr Sadaf Gilani, in particular, did good detailed write-ups on "absolute risk reduction". 2022 Apr 15. doi: 10.1080/14760584.2022.2067531. . . Efficacy and effectiveness of covid-19 vaccine - absolute vs. relative risk reduction. So if you are young with a near 0% risk of making a severe form of Covid-19 disease, would you take the vaccine for a 0.71% reduction in risk with all serious or even fatal side effects? Introduction. We'll statistically analyze the data ourselves to go beyond the simplified accounts that the media presents. 0001). In the case of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine BNT162b2, the Absolute Risk Reduction Rate is 0.84%. Adverse events occurred in 132 (29%) of 452 participants in the tixagevimab-cilgavimab group and 163 (36%) of 451 participants in the placebo group, and were mostly of mild or moderate severity. PolitiFact previously checked a similar claim that conflated absolute risk reduction and relative risk reduction for the different COVID-19 vaccines currently in use around the world. Thus, a 90% efficacy (ie 10% RR) means that the proportion of infection in the vaccinated group . This is a rational course of action. An 80-year-old grandparent who does not think they have previously had Covid-19 decides to get vaccinated. What I should have said better is that the data show a relative risk reduction not an absolute risk reduction. A similar narrative is replicated in a TikTok video here.. "Receiving the COVID-19 vaccine reduces your risk at most 1.3%", the women says to the camera around timestamp 00:33. Absolute risk was calculated using the observed outcomes in the placebo arm during the available clinical trial follow-up. Approximately 96 COVID-19 vaccines are at various stages of clinical development.1 At present, . VERIFY: Why is absolute risk reduction in COVID-19 vaccines smaller than relative risk reduction? The World Health Organization, with the support of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization and its COVID-19 Vaccines Working Group, continues to review the emerging evidence on the need for and timing of additional booster doses for the currently available COVID-19 vaccines which have received Emergency Use Listing (EUL). The absence of reported absolute risk reduction in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials can lead to outcome reporting bias that affects the interpretation of vaccine efficacy. In "Outcome Reporting Bias in COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Clinical Trials" 2 Ron Brown, Ph.D. calculates the absolute risk reduction for Pfizer's and Moderna's injections, based on their own clinical trial data, so that they can be compared to . and relative risk reduction is a more useful metric in vaccine science. This A, and 15% die with treatment B, the relative risk reduction is 25%. Risk of bias related to blinding of participants was present. (Mahase, BMJ 2020;371:m4471, November 17) As with the Pfizer vaccine news release, few numbers are provided, but we can approximate the absolute risk reduction for a vaccinated . Two covid-19 vaccines are being offered to children from 5 years old across the UK. So efficacy, or effectiveness, really refer to how this vaccine, or a vaccine, can actually reduce the risk relative to a population that has not received the vaccines. . The authors end up comparing the numbers needed to vaccinate to prevent one case of COVID-19 among the vaccines, which derives from the absolute reductions. The RRR tells us how much the risk of COVID-19 infection is reduced (or lowered) in the test vaccine group, compared to a control group who did not receive the test vaccine. The safety of LAGEVRIO was evaluated based on an analysis of MOVe-OUT in which 1,411 non-hospitalized subjects with COVID-19 were randomized and treated with LAGEVRIO (N=710) or placebo (N=701) for up to 5 days. The authors end up comparing the numbers needed to vaccinate to prevent one case of COVID-19 among the vaccines, which derives from the absolute reductions. What is the absolute reduction in risk? COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Black Americans threatens to further magnify racial inequities in COVID-19 related health outcomes that emerged in the earliest stages of the pandemic. In addition, they propose that absolute risk reduction (ARR) should be reported as a measure of the vaccine's effectiveness. Misleading: The article wrongly claimed that the absolute risk reduction (ARR) from the COVID-19 vaccines indicates only "minuscule" benefit.While ARR can be a helpful measure of vaccine efficacy, interpreting it correctly requires an understanding . Vaccine efficacy is looking at improvement in population risks using . Flu vaccine cuts risk of heart attack in following year by 34 per cent. AstraZeneca - 1.3 %. Moderna's phase III trial has shown that, so far, the vaccine is 94.5% effective. . The definition of influenza vaccine effectiveness is very precise in . A subsequent Lancet article argued these relative risk reduction figures should be published alongside absolute risk reduction figures, a totally different measurement which the article said were around 1 to 2 percentage points for the vaccines. Dear EditorMODERNA VACCINE IS NEARLY 95% EFFECTIVE, BUT NNTV = 176 TO 1370. The recent example of COVID-19 vaccination is illustrative. Absolute risk reduction (ARR) is intended to measure how many people would be benefited from the vaccine (or treatment) out of those receiving it. Risk Compensation and COVID-19 Vaccines. 2. It reports the relative risk reductions from trials of the five Covid vaccines: "95% for the Pfizer-BioNTech, 94% for the Moderna-NIH, 90% for the Gamaleya, 67% for the J&J, and 67% for . In comparison, as explained by Meedan Health Desk experts , ARR is simply the difference in infection rates between the intervention group and the placebo group. Moderna - 1.2 %. — Dr. Stephen M. Hahn (@SteveFDA) August 25, 2020 Preliminary results from mRNA COVID-19 vaccines suggested a relative risk reduction for confirmed COVID-19 cases of around 95% in the vaccinated compared with the placebo group, which has no doubt contributed to driving public adherence to vaccination.7 It may have been much less the case had the absolute risk reduction been discussed, which . If the treatment works equally well for those with a 40% risk of dying and those with a 10% risk of dying, the absolute risk reduction remains 25% across all groups. Covid-19 vaccines approved for use in the UK do effectively prevent symptomatic Covid-19, as . The absolute risk reduction between the LAGEVRIO and the placebo arm was 6.8 percentage points (95% CI: 2.4, 11.3; p=0.0024). Preliminary results from mRNA COVID-19 vaccines suggested a relative risk reduction for confirmed COVID-19 cases of around 95% in the vaccinated compared with the placebo group, which has no doubt contributed to driving public adherence to vaccination.7 It may have been much Consider three different subsets of possible vaccine candidates: 1. Absolute risk was calculated using the observed risk of symptomatic COVID-19 among placebo recipients in the available body of evidence from randomized controlled trials. Relative risk reduction and absolute risk reduction measures in the evaluation of clinical trial data are poorly understood by health professionals and the public. Journalists, activists and public health practitioners have characterised the largely preventable public health crisis as vaccine apartheid. The present article uses clinical epidemiologic tools to critically appraise reports of efficacy in Pfzier/BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 mRNA vaccine clinical trials. Volume 53, Issue 2, March-April 2022, Page 63-66. Although the RRR considers only participants who could benefit from the vaccine, the absolute risk reduction (ARR), which is the difference between attack rates with and without a vaccine, considers the whole population. Even with . 1. During the study period, 1,331,993 people with an average age of 65 years were vaccinated against COVID-19, with 723 later admitted to the hospital with coronavirus infections, compared with 7,854 unvaccinated people. Gamaleya (Sputnik) - 0.93 %, J&J - 1.2 %. Unreported absolute risk reduction measures of 0.7% and 1.1% for the Pfzier/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, respectively, are very much lower than the reported relative risk reduction measures. Some experts argue that there is too much focus on RRR and that different measurements, like absolute risk reduction (ARR) (or risk difference) should be reported more . In the context of COVID, Kissler explains, absolute risk reduction compares how much your risk reduces by getting a vaccine. Effective responses to the COVID-19 pandemic require integrating behavioral factors such as risk-driven contact reduction, improved treatment, and adherence . The concept of risk, and our ability to assess risk, has also made the headlines in the context of the COVID-19 vaccine trials. In Phase 3 clinical trials, vaccine safety and efficacy are determined by analyzing "events"—in this case, confirmed cases of symptomatic COVID-19. Initial reports that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are 95% effective and the adenovirus vaccine is 70% effective were computed on the basis of the relative risk reductions observed in phase 3 . The absolute risk reduction is the difference between those two risks, or 70%-60% = 10%. The study involved around 18,000 individuals who received both vaccines and another 18,000 who . For example, let's say there's a vaccine study, where 100 people get . Using data from a Nov 26 opinion piece in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) . Rather, RRR shows the reduction in risk of an outcome based on an intervention - in this case, the reduced chance of contracting COVID-19 after being inoculated against the virus. The "Absolute Risk" reduction is what's important for people who are offered a vaccine or treatment. What Does COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy Really Mean? For example, let's say there's a vaccine study, where 100 people get .