Reference:
Bekker, L.-G., Garrett, N., Goga, A., Fairall, L., Reddy, T., Yende-Zuma, N., Kassanjee, R., Collie, S., Sanne, I., Boulle, A., Seocharan, I., Engelbrecht, I., Davies, M.-A., Champion, J., Chen, T., Bennett, S., Mametja, S., Semenya, M., Moultrie, H., de Oliveira, T., Lessells, R. J., Cohen, C., Jassat, W., Groome, M., Von Gottberg, A., Le Roux, E., Khuto, K., Barouch, D., Mahomed, H., Wolmarans, M., Rousseau, P., Bradshaw, D., Mulder, M., Opie, J., Louw, V., Jacobson, B., Rowji, P., Peter, J. G., Takalani, A., Odhiambo, J., Mayat, F., Takuva, S., Corey, L., Gray, G. E., & the Sisonke Protocol Team. (2022). Effectiveness of the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine in health-care workers in South Africa (the Sisonke study): results from a single-arm, open-label, phase 3B, implementation study. The Lancet, 399, 1141-1153.
Summary:
The Sisonke study evaluated the effectiveness of the Ad26.COV2.S (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine among South African health-care workers during COVID-19 waves. From February to May 2021, 477,102 health-care workers were vaccinated. The study found the vaccine was 83% effective in preventing COVID-19-related deaths, 75% for critical care admissions, and 67% for hospitalisations. Effectiveness remained consistent across different demographic groups, including those with HIV. While beta and delta variants circulated, vaccine effectiveness showed minimal variation. This research offers critical real-world evidence supporting the use of the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine, particularly in regions burdened by HIV and high COVID-19 transmission rates.