A single dose of Pfizer-BioNTech or Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines reduces the risk of hospitalization of Covid-19 by more than 80% in people over the age of 80, according to new data from Public Health England (PHE).
The effect was observed three to four weeks after vaccination.
It has also been shown that people over the age of 70 have up to 61% protection against symptomatic diseases from the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and up to 73% from the Oxford-Astra-Zeneca vaccine.
“This adds to growing evidence that vaccines work to reduce infections and save lives,” Dr. Mary Ramsay, head of immunization at PHE, said in a press release.
During a press conference on Monday, British Health Secretary Matt Hancock welcomed real-world data, stressing that the daily death toll in the UK was falling “much faster” than at the first peak and “falling faster in the 80’s the jab first than in the 80’s. “
The UK has administered Covid-19 photos to more than 20 million people, with campaigns primarily targeting people over 80 who are most vulnerable to the disease.
The new data support the country’s decision to use both Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines at a time when other European countries have expressed concern about the use of AstraZeneca in the elderly.
“These findings are particularly welcome news due to the age range of participants who were all 70 years of age and older,” said Deborah Dunn-Walters, president of the British Society for Immunology COVID-19 and Immunology Taskforce, and professor of immunology at University of Surrey.
“Previous clinical trials for both vaccines have not included many individuals in this age group. This is important because, as we age, our immune system does not function as well as when we were younger, which means that older people sometimes produce more immune responses to vaccination, ”she said.
“The fact that vaccination is effective in significantly reducing the symptomatic cases, hospitalizations and deaths of Covid-19 in this age group is really positive news,” added Dunn-Walters.
Although more research is needed, this study also provides additional assurance about the UK’s decision to offer the two doses of the vaccine 12 weeks apart.
But Ramsay stressed the need for people to remain vigilant with measures such as social distancing and hand washing.
“It is important to remember that protection is not complete and we do not yet know how much these vaccines will reduce your risk of passing Covid-19 to others,” she said.
Data released last week by PHE from studies of health care workers found that a dose of vaccine prevented people from getting asymptomatic Covid-19 by at least 70%, suggesting that vaccines may help reduce the spread of infection, but are more data needed.
The UK is increasing the rate of the second dose, with just over 800,000 now inoculated with both photos.