The Covid-19 vaccines used in the UK could reduce a person ‘s risk of being admitted to hospital by as much as 94% four weeks after the first dose, new data suggest.
Four weeks after receiving the first dose, an Oxford injection appeared to reduce a person’s hospital admission by up to 94%, according to a new Scottish study.
Sir Patrick Vallance, the Government’s chief scientific adviser, said it was “clear that AstraZeneca works and works in the elderly”.
People who received the Pfizer injection had a reduction in risk of up to 85% between 28 and 34 days after the first dose.
Data for the two jobs combined showed that among people over 80 – who are at high risk of serious infection – the reduction in the risk of hospital admission was 81% four weeks after the first dose.
Most older people in the study – who are among those most at risk of serious infection and death from Covid-19 – were more likely to get the AstraZeneca injection.
Experts studied Covid-19 hospital admissions in Scotland among people who had their first injection and compared them with those who had not yet been vaccinated.
Scientists from the universities of Edinburgh, Strathclyde, Aberdeen, Glasgow and St Andrews and Public Health Scotland (PHS) looked at data on people who received the Pfizer / BioNTech injection or the one developed by science at Oxford University with AstraZeneca.
Scientists said the evidence showed that the vaccines were “performing well” and that they would expect to see similar results across the UK.
However, they said the study did not begin to investigate the differences between the two injections, and confirmed that a comparison would not be “fair” as the vaccines were offered in different numbers.
Lead researcher Professor Aziz Sheikh, director of the University of Edinburgh’s Usher Institute, said: “These results are very encouraging and have given us great reasons to be optimistic about the future.
“We now have national evidence – nationwide – that the vaccine protects against Covid-19 hospitals.”
He said: “Overall, we are very pleased with both of these vaccines.
“When we move beyond the test scenarios you don’t know what the results are going to be, but this is out in the field and both are performing well. ”
He said AstraZeneca had been “largely” given to the elderly, adding: “At the moment, we do not have the figures to do these serial age analyzes with different types of vaccines but we will have that. soon.
“But those two things (vaccines) work really well, he said, we haven’t made a direct comparison between the two at the moment.”
Sir Patrick said the Scottish study was “very encouraging”.
However, he warned that the estimates have “confidence intervals” – which means the figure could be larger or more effective than the one reported – but said: “But AZ is working, and working in the elderly. ”
Professor Dame Angela MacLean, chief scientific adviser to the Ministry of Defense, said: “94 is a very confident number, but 94 is not 100. We have to live with that and that is why it is being broadcast. really, really high, so important. ”
The researchers analyzed data between 8 December and February 15. During this period, 1.14 million vaccines were given in Scotland – 21% of the Scottish population.
Around 650,000 people have received the Pfizer vaccine, and 490,000 have received the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine.
Researchers looked at GP records about vaccinations, hospital admissions, death records and laboratory test results – and compared the results of those who had their first injection with those who did not.
Dr Teresa Lambe, associate professor at Oxford University, said: “When we first embarked on this journey, we could not have hoped a year later, without real world data. this level of impact from our vaccine against hospitalization from serious illness.
“It’s a great day for all of us, especially the team who have worked so hard, and a monument in our battle against coronavirus.”
Professor Andrew Pollard, lead researcher on the Oxford vaccine trial, said: “We are delighted to see that there is real-world evidence reported today from the University of Edinburgh that confirms that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and the Pfizer vaccine are very large. effect against hospitalization with Covid-19 disease.
“Vaccines work. We now need to make sure that everyone is protected. ”
Dr Jim McMenamin, CoHS-19 national event director at PHS, said: “Across the Scottish population the results show a significant impact on reducing the risk of hospital admissions from a single dose of the vaccine.
“For anyone who receives the vaccine, I urge you to get the vaccine.”
He said the data was “encouraging” when he looked at the effects of vaccination against the UK coronavirus variant.
Dr McMenamin, in Scotland, said issues in the various South Africans had been “almost exclusively” linked to travel, adding: “So it is unlikely that we will see anything then about the impact vaccination for other changes, but certainly for the RA variability we have seen over the period of the study we are showing for the whole program a very encouraging vaccine effect. ”
Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England and co-director for the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), said: “This research provides encouraging early data on the impact of vaccination on hospital reductions. ”
Chris Robertson, professor of epidemiology in public health at the University of Strathclyde, said: “These early national findings provide reason to be more optimistic about epilepsy control. ”
The data was published as a preprint.
This means that it is an early work that has not yet been subjected to peer review and has not yet been published in a journal.