LONDON (Reuters) – Vaccination in Scotland appears to significantly reduce the risk of hospitalization for COVID-19, suggesting that both the Pfizer-BioNtech and Oxford-AstraZeneca shots are very effective in preventing serious infections, the findings from the preliminary study were shown Monday.
The results of the study, which covers the entire Scottish population of 5.4 million people, showed that by the fourth week after the initial dose, the vaccines Pfizer and AstraZeneca were found to reduce the risk of hospitalization by 85% and 94% respectively.
“These results are very encouraging and have given us good reasons to be optimistic about the future,” said Aziz Sheikh, a professor at the Usher Institute at the University of Edinburgh who led the study.
Sheikh warned at a media conference that the results are preliminary data that have yet to be evaluated by independent scientists, but added: “I am very encouraged. We now have national evidence … that vaccination provides protection against COVID-19 hospitalizations . “
He said he expected other countries to use the same two vaccines and that a similar strategy – such as England and Wales – would have a similar positive impact on reducing the number of people admitted with COVID-19.
Data on the effect of the vaccines in Scotland were collected between 8 December and 15 February. Researchers say that during this period 1.14 million vaccines were administered and that 21% of the population in Scotland received a first dose.
Among those aged 80 years and older – one of the highest risk groups for COVID-19 – vaccination was associated with an 81% reduction in hospital risk in the fourth week, when the results for both vaccinations were combined.
Jim McMenamin, COVID-19 Director of Public Health in Scotland, said the findings are particularly important as we move from expectation to evidence of benefit through vaccines.
(Posted by Kate Kelland, edited by Mark Heinrich)