The Delta variant doubles the risk of hospitalization, but vaccines still work

Good news? Vaccines still significantly reduce the risk of hospitalization with the Delta variant. According to a Scottish study, the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine offered 79% protection, two weeks after the second dose, while the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine offered 60% protection. This lower rate may be due to the longer time it takes to develop immunity with the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, the researchers said.

However, research it was soon released by Public Health England he was even more hopeful. The Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine found that it provides 96% protection from hospitalization after two doses, and Oxford / AstraZeneca is 92% effective in preventing hospitalization after two shots. Conclusion? There is more evidence of the importance of getting as many people vaccinated as possible and getting two shots.

Contagious: The Delta variant is 64% more contagious than the inner Alpha variant, according to Public Health England.

These data, combined with hospital admissions data, are why the UK has delayed most of the 19 covid reductions with plans to delay them by a month. It is hoped that these additional weeks will provide enough time to boost the number of fully embedded adults. Although more than 70% of the UK’s adult population has had one dose, more than half have had both.

Great fear: One concern since the beginning of vaccination programs has been that current vaccines will be much more effective as the virus evolves and adapts, i.e. “vaccine leak.” As it stands, that doesn’t seem to have happened. But in the end, we will need new vaccines designed to address the variants more specifically.