LONDON – New evidence from the UK shows that Covid-19 vaccinations have sharply reduced serious illnesses and deaths among the elderly after just one dose, boosting optimism that successful vaccination programs will return to economic growth this year after a year of widespread barriers.
The actual data from the country that vaccinates a larger part of its population than any major Western economy also provides support for the UK government’s strategy to expand limited vaccine supply through a second shot vaccine with up to 12 weeks after the first to to protect more people from the disease.
British researchers say in preliminary findings published online on Monday, that a single dose of Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE or the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca PLC, reduced the risk of hospitalization among people over 70 years by 80% compared to those of the same age who were not vaccinated.
The study contributes to evidence from around the world that real-world vaccines are as effective as they appear in clinical trials, giving hope that mass rollout can reduce the need for restrictive public health measures and pave the way for economic reopening.
“It’s hopefully going to take us into a whole other world in the next few months,” England’s deputy chief executive Jonathan Van-Tam said on Monday, referring to vaccination.