BNT162b2 Vaccine Booster and Covid-19 Mortality

To the Editor: In their analysis of real-world data, Arbel and colleagues (Dec. 23 issue)(1) found that mortality due to coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) among adults 50 years of age or older was 90% lower among participants who received a booster at least 5 months after receiving a second dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech) than among those who did not receive a booster. To further enhance knowledge about the BNT162b2 booster effect, reports on all-cause mortality would have been useful. In addition to mortality due to Covid-19, all-cause mortality since the time of booster administration, an outcome that is . . .

Automated summary

In a real-world data analysis, researchers found that adults aged 50 or above who received a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at least 5 months after their second dose had 90% lower mortality due to Covid-19 compared to those who did not receive a booster. The study suggests that reports on all-cause mortality would have been helpful in improving our understanding of the booster effect.