COVID‐19 vaccinations and rates of infections, hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and deaths in Europe during SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron wave in the first quarter of 2022

The vaccination campaigns brought hope to minimizing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) burden. However, the emergence of novel, highly transmissible Omicron lineage of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) and the waning of neutralizing antibodies a few months after vaccination has brought concerns over the vaccine efficacy. The present work analyzed the relationships between COVID‐19 vaccine coverage (completion of primary course and booster dose intake) in the European Economic Area and rates of infection, hospitalizations, admissions to intensive care units (ICU), and deaths during the Omicron wave in the first quarter of 2022 (January–April). As demonstrated, infection rates were not correlated to vaccine coverage in any considered month. For January and February, the rates of hospitalizations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, and death due to COVID …