"Introduction
Qatar endured a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron (B.1.1.529) wave that started on December 19, 2021 and peaked in mid-January, 2022... Accordingly, we investigated duration of protection of BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) and mRNA-1273 (Moderna) mRNA coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines, after the second dose and after the third/booster dose, against symptomatic BA.1 and BA.2 infections, between December 23, 2021 and February 28, 2022...
Discussion
No discernable differences were observed in the duration of mRNA vaccine protection against BA.1 versus BA.2 symptomatic infection. For each of these subvariants, vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic infection was ~50% in the first 3 months after the second dose, but declined to negligible levels thereafter. Effectiveness rapidly rebounded after the booster dose to reach similar levels to those seen right after the second dose, but waned again thereafter...
In conclusion, mRNA vaccines provide only moderate protection against symptomatic BA.1 and BA.2 Omicron infections... Protection also wanes rapidly to negligible levels, starting 4 months after the second dose. Vaccine protection rebounds after booster vaccination, but also wanes thereafter. Meanwhile, vaccine protection against COVID-19 hospitalization and death is strong and durable after the second dose, and is most robust after a booster dose."
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