Vaccine Effectiveness during Outbreak of COVID-19 Alpha (B.1.1.7) Variant in Men’s Correctional Facility, United States

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I ncarcerated populations are especially vulnerable to communicable disease spread, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19 (1-3).Outbreaks in correctional facilities have been linked to outbreaks and disease spread in the wider community (4,5).Although incarcerated persons and correctional staff were recommended as a priority group to receive vaccination (6), reported willingness among employees and incarcerated persons to receive CO-VID-19 vaccines was lower than among the general population (7).Thus, outbreaks in prisons present a valuable opportunity to assess vaccine effectiveness in a real-world, high-risk environment. Outbreak and ConditionsOn April 7, 2021, a COVID-19 outbreak in a men's correctional facility in southwest Virginia was reported to the local branch of the Virginia Health Department (VDH) (Figure 1).Before this outbreak, this facility reported 46 employees and 2 residents (persons who were incarcerated) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 during June 28, 2020-March 20, 2021, as well as 3 additional positive tests among employees during March 21-April 3, 2021.VDH was notified of 15 residents testing positive by rapid antigen test (BinaxNOW; Abbott, https://www.abbott.com), on April 7, followed by 4 more cases confirmed April 8-9, for a total of 19 positive antigen test results among 46 total residents who were tested because of symptoms or contact with a symptomatic or positive person (Figure 1).On April 13 and April 27, 2021, employees and residents of the correctional facility were offered (with the option to decline) a quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR)-based test for SARS-CoV-2 using nasopharyngeal specimens as part of the VDH outbreak response.We conducted whole-genome sequencing and single-amplicon analyses on all positive samples to identify the source of the outbreak and the virus variants.At the time of the outbreak, the facility housed 865 residents (within the facility's capacity) and had 300 employees.COVID-19 vaccines had been offered to both employees and residents, who were eligible as a priority population in early 2021.Health department officials stated that a total of 668 Vaccine Effectiveness during Outbreak of COVID-19 Alpha (B.1.1.7)