The COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer
Researchers concluded that the Pfizer-BioNTech shot is 96% effective against hospitalization from the Delta variant, which was first discovered in India, after two doses, while the AstraZeneca-Oxford jab is 92% effective, according to a PHE conducted study published Monday. Those results are comparable with respectively vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization from the Alpha variant, which first emerged in the United Kingdom, the study's authors found.
Both vaccines require two shots, given about four weeks apart, to offer maximum protection against the original strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Research has shown that these shots can be effective at preventing severe infection from other emerging variants.
"The vaccines are the most important tool we have against COVID-19. Thousands of lives have already been saved because of them," said Dr. Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at PHE, in a statement. "It is absolutely vital to get both doses as soon as they are offered to you, to gain maximum protection against all existing and emerging variants."
In a separate study, researchers in Scotland concluded that people infected with the Delta variant are more likely to end up in the hospital, compared to the Alpha variant. However, the study's authors found that two doses of either vaccine reduces your risk of being admitted to the hospital by 70% against the Delta variant, according to a research letter of those findings published in The Lancet.
Overall, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was found to be 79% effective at protecting against infection from the Delta variant, compared to 92% against the Alpha strain. The AstraZeneca-Oxford shot offers 60% and 73% protection, respectively, against the strains.
The World Health Organization (WHO) stated on Wednesday that the Delta variant has now spread to more than 80 countries, making it one of the health agency's variants of concern.
