Vaccines are 90% effective against preventing Delta variant deaths, study suggests
According to recent research, vaccinations are 90% effective against preventing deaths from the Covid-19 Delta variant.
The research was carried out by the University of Edinburgh by using a Covid surveillance tool across Scotland.
According to figures, the Pfizer vaccine is 90% effective against preventing death while the AstraZeneca jab is 91% effective in preventing deaths in people who have been fully vaccinated but test positive for the virus.
With the Delta variant being the most dominant variant in the UK, this study is quite revolutionary as it's the first of its type to show across an entire country how effective vaccines are at preventing death from the Delta variant.
Death from Covid-19 was defined as being anyone who died within 28 days of a positive PCR test or with Covid-19 recorded as a cause of death on an individual's death certificate.
The study, which took place between the 1st of April and 27th of September this year, analysed data from 5.4 million people while 115,000 people tested positive for the virus, with 201 Covid-19 deaths being reported.
No deaths were recorded in those who were fully vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine, meaning researchers were unable to determine this particular vaccine's effectiveness at preventing Covid-19 deaths.
Director of the University of Edinburgh's Usher Institute and EAVE II study lead Professor Aziz Sheikh stated, "With the Delta variant now the dominant strain in many places worldwide and posing a higher risk of hospitalisation than previous variants seen in the UK, it is reassuring to see that vaccination offers such high protection from death very shortly after the second dose."
Professor Chris Roberston of the University of Strathclyde and Public Health Scotland described the findings as encouraging as it shows "that the vaccine remains an effective measure in protecting both ourselves and others from death from the most dominant variant of Covid-19."
IMAGE – "201214-D-BN624-0811" (CC BY 2.0) by U.S. Secretary of Defense