Thao P Le, Isobel Abell, Eamon Conway, Patricia T Campbell, Alexandra B Hogan, Michael J Lydeamore, Jodie McVernon, Ivo Mueller, Camelia R Walker, Christopher M Baker
BACKGROUND: Since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), there have been multiple waves of infection and multiple rounds of vaccination rollouts. Both prior infection and vaccination can prevent future infection and reduce severity of outcomes, combining to form hybrid immunity against COVID-19 at the individual and population level. Here, we explore how different combinations of hybrid immunity affect the size and severity of near-future Omicron waves. METHODS: To investigate the role of hybrid immunity, we use an agent-based model of COVID-19 transmission with waning immunity to simulate outbreaks in populations with varied past attack rates and past vaccine coverages, basing the demographics and past histories on the World Health Organization Western Pacific Region...
April 16, 2024: BMC Infectious Diseases