Initial report of decreased SARS-CoV-2 viral load after inoculation with the BNT162b2 vaccine

Matan Levine-Tiefenbrun, Idan Yelin, Rachel Katz, Esma Herzel, Ziv Golan, Licita Schreiber, Tamar Wolf, Varda Nadler, Amir Ben-Tov, Jacob Kuint, Sivan Gazit, Tal Patalon, Gabriel Chodick, Roy Kishony

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Beyond their substantial protection of individual vaccinees, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines might reduce viral load in breakthrough infection and thereby further suppress onward transmission. In this analysis of a real-world dataset of positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) test results after inoculation with the BNT162b2 messenger RNA vaccine, we found that the viral load was substantially reduced for infections occurring 12–37 d after the first dose of vaccine. These reduced viral loads hint at a potentially lower infectiousness, further contributing to vaccine effect on virus spread.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)790-+
Number of pages3
JournalNature Medicine
Volume27
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - 29 Mar 2021

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology

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