Open Forum Infect Dis . 2021 Nov 6;9(1):ofab553. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofab553. eCollection 2022 Jan. In-depth Characterization of Vaccine Breakthrough Infections With SARS-CoV-2 Among Health Care Workers in a Dutch Academic Medical Center

[tetano]

Open Forum Infect Dis


. 2021 Nov 6;9(1):ofab553.
doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofab553. eCollection 2022 Jan.
In-depth Characterization of Vaccine Breakthrough Infections With SARS-CoV-2 Among Health Care Workers in a Dutch Academic Medical Center


Lidewij W Rümke ¹ , Femke C Groenveld ¹ , Yvonne M G van Os ² , Patrique Praest ¹ , Anniek A N Tanja ¹ , Dorien T C M de Jong ¹ , Jori Symons ¹ , Rob Schuurman ¹ , Tessa Reinders ¹ , L Marije Hofstra ¹ , Stefan Nierkens ³ , Steven F T Thijsen ⁴ , Michiel Heron ⁴ , Robert-Jan Lebbink ¹ , Jeffrey M Beekman ^{5 6} , Monique Nijhuis ¹ , Annemarie M J Wensing ¹



Affiliations

• PMID: 34988250
• PMCID: PMC8714358
• DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofab553

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection after coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination raises concerns about the emergence of vaccine escape variants. Here we characterize 14 breakthrough infections among 5860 fully vaccinated Dutch health care workers ≥14 days after the final dose of vaccination with either BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, or Ad26.COV2.S. These breakthrough infections presented with regular B.1.1.7 (Alpha) and B.1.617.2 (Delta) variants and high viral loads, despite normal vaccine-induced B- and T-cell immune responses detected by live virus neutralization assays and ELISpot. High-risk exposure settings, such as in households, indicate a potential risk of viral transmission despite full vaccination.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; immunity; postvaccination infection; vaccine breakthrough.