The pre-print research paper (meaning it’s yet to be peer reviewed) found that two doses of the vaccines were “highly effective” against symptomatic disease both in the Indian and Kent Covid mutations. Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said this new evidence is “groundbreaking”. Hancock added that it “proves just how valuable our COVID-19 vaccination programme is in protecting the people we love”.
Hancock is “confident” that “more than one in three” people have “significant protection” against the Indian Covid strain.
“And that number is growing… every single day as more and more people get that vital second dose,” he said.
Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at PHE, said: “We expect the vaccines to be even more effective at preventing hospitalisation and death.”
Minister for COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment Nadhim Zahawi said the data was “astounding”.
The first explanation is that the roll-out of the second doses of AstraZeneca was later than the Pfizer vaccine.
Moving on, the second explanation is that other data suggest that the antibody profiles take longer to reach maximum effectiveness with the AstraZeneca vaccine.
PHE has declared it will “continue to evaluate” the incoming data over the next coming weeks.
Dr Ramsay concluded: “It is vital to get both doses to gain maximum protection against all existing and emerging variants.”
