top of page
Relative vs Absolute Efficacy Rates
May 2021
These set of infographs explain the difference between absolute and relative risk reduction rates. While the media puts out vaccine efficacy rates with claims ranging from 70%-90%, one must note that these are the relative risk reductions (RRRs). While both relative & absolute risk reductions are accurate in giving out information, they convey very different narratives depending on which type of risk reduction is being shown.
Reduction reduction calculations are done differently by pharmaceutical companies depending on what they want to sell. While RRRs do a good job at selling a product to the public as their numbers appear huge, ARRs give a bigger picture of the trial. But when the larger interest of public health is involved, both RRR & ARR need to be mentioned.
< Use the navigation arrows on the left & right of the slide to move through the presentation >
References
Brown, Ronald B. 2021. "Outcome Reporting Bias in COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Clinical Trials." National Library of Medicine. Accessed Sept 16, 2021. doi:10.3390/medicina57030199 .
Denis Y Logunov, DSc, Inna V Dolzhikova, PhD, Dmitry V Shcheblyakov, PhD. 2021. "Safety and efficacy of an rAd26 and rAd5 vector-based heterologous prime-boost COVID-19 vaccine: an interim analysis of a randomised controlled phase 3 trial in Russia." The Lancet. Accessed Sept 15, 2021. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00234-8.
Lindsey R. Baden, M.D., Hana M. El Sahly, M.D., Brandon Essink, M.D., Karen Kotloff, M.D., Sharon Frey, M.D., Rick Novak, M.D., David Diemert, M.D., Stephen A. Spector, M.D., Nadine Rouphael, M.D., C. Buddy Creech, M.D., John McGettigan, M.D., Shishir Khe. 2021. "Efficacy and Safety of the mRNA-1273 SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine." The New England Jounral of Medicine. Accessed 15 Sept, 2021. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2035389.
Merryn Voysey*, Sue Ann Costa Clemens*, Shabir A Madhi*, Lily Y Weckx*, Pedro M Folegatti*, Parvinder K Aley, Brian Angus, Vicky L Baillie, Shaun L Barnabas, Qasim E Bhorat, Sagida Bibi, Carmen Briner, Paola Cicconi, Andrea M Collins, Rachel Colin-Jones,. 2020. "Safety and efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AZD1222) against SARS-CoV-2: an interim analysis of four randomised controlled trials in Brazil, South Africa, and the UK." The Lanccet. Accessed Sept 15, 2021. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32661-1.
Pfizer.inc. 2020. Pfizer and BioNTech Conclude Phase 3 Study of COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate, Meeting All Primary Efficacy Endpoints. Nov 18. Accessed Sept 15, 2021. https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-and-biontech-conclude-phase-3-studycovid-19-vaccine.
bottom of page