A single dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine reduces the risk of hospitalization from Covid-19 by more than 80% in people over 80, according to new data from Public Health England (PHE).
The effect was seen three to four weeks after vaccination.
It has also been shown that people older than 70 to 61% have protection against symptomatic diseases of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and up to 73% of the Oxford-Astra-Zeneca vaccine.
“This is contributing to increasing evidence that the vaccines work to reduce infections and save lives,” said Dr. Mary Ramsay, head of vaccination at PHE, said in a press release.
British Health Secretary Matt Hancock praised real-world data at a press conference on Monday, pointing out that the daily death toll in the UK was “declining much faster” than in the first peak, and that it was “declining faster in the 1980s. the jab first than in the under 80s. ‘
The UK has delivered Covid-19 shots to more than 20 million people, with campaigns targeting the elderly over 80 being the most vulnerable to the disease.
The new data supports the country’s decision to use both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines at a time when other countries in Europe have expressed concern about the use of the AstraZeneca shot in the elderly.
“These findings are particularly welcome news because of the age group of participants who were all 70 years and older,” said Deborah Dunn-Walters, chair of the British Society for Immunology COVID-19 and Immunology Taskforce, and professor of immunology at the University of Surrey.
“Previous clinical trials for both vaccines did not include many individuals of this age group. This is important because our immune systems do not function as well as when we were younger as we get older, which means that older people sometimes produce lower immune responses to vaccination. , ”She said.
“The fact that vaccination is effective in significantly reducing symptomatic cases, hospitalizations and deaths due to Covid-19 in this older age group is really positive news,” Dunn-Walters added.
“Although more research is needed, this study also provides further reassurance about the UK’s decision to offer the two doses of the vaccine 12 weeks apart.”
But Ramsay stressed that people need to be vigilant with measures such as social distance and hand washing.
“It is important to remember that the protection is not complete, and we do not yet know how much these vaccines will reduce the risk of you passing Covid-19 to others,” she said.
Data released by PHE last week from studies by health professionals found that one dose of the vaccine prevented people from asymptomatically capturing Covid-19 by at least 70%, suggesting that the vaccines may help spread the infection. to reduce, but more information is needed.
The UK is increasing the dose of second doses administered, with just over 800,000 now being vaccinated with both shots.