• In the Covid-19 vaccine trials, there is an essential difference between the relative reduction of risk for covid19 provided by vaccination and the absolute risk reduction for the individual person. But can we expect to find that information in the papers referring the trials - and will we be able to compare results between the different vaccines?
• Furthermore, must the study population in the vaccine trials reflect those expected to benefit from vaccination. And that seems to be a problem too.
• In this episode, we are looking at what kind of relevant information we need from the upcoming Covid-19 vaccine trials - and how you can get that information

Links: 

• FDA guidance https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/covid-19-related-guidance-documents-industry-fda-staff-and-other-stakeholders
• JAMA Internernal Medicine, Older People: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2771091
• Vaccine Efficacy Needed for a COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccine to Prevent or Stop an Epidemic as the Sole Interventionhttps://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(20)30284-1/fulltext#:~:text=This%20study%20found%20that%20the,(e.g.%2C%20social%20distancing)

Notes:

• We will get the most valuable information from well designed clinical trials proving high protection for Covid-19 and high safety for those vaccinated based on analysis from a broad study population
• FDA requires in their guideline and recommendation at least 50% protection
• That is a relative risk reduction of 50%, but how does that translate into the absolute risk
• Computational models have calculated the need for higher protection
• How about precision in terms of study population and usefulness of data
• Why the comparison between different studies is not possible, and how you can get around that

We will review published Covid-19 vaccine trials here at the Precision Evidence Podcast, so be sure to subscribe and share with friends!

Contact us at email: [email protected],

Twitter @PrecisionEBM,

website: www.precision-evidence.com

Hosts:

Dr. Kim Kristiansen, M.D: @KKristiansenMD

JG Staal: @HealthyEvidence

Music thanks to mixkit.co