Covid-19 Vaccines Cut Risk Of Serious Illness By 80%

An analysis of data from England has revealed just one shot of the coronavirus vaccine can dramatically reduce the risk of serious illness from Covid-19.

Both the Oxford-AstraZeneca or the Pfizer-BioNTech was found to cut hospital admissions in people over the age of 80 by 80 per cent.

The same research found there was also a 60 per cent drop in any symptoms for people above the age of 70 who had received one shot of the vaccine.

The jabs take three to four weeks until they reach full effect and scientists have stressed that while this is incredible, two injections of the vaccine are best.

The study is yet to be peer reviewed, but Health Secretary Matt Hancock has praised the findings and hopes it will be representative of the whole community when everyone gets vaccinated.

"They may also help to explain why the number of Covid admissions to intensive care units among people over 80 in the UK have dropped to single figures in the last couple of weeks," he said.

England's deputy chief medical officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam believes the vaccine 'is going to hopefully take us into a very different world in the next few months' and encouraged everyone to get the second shot.

The top medical professional said the additional injection helps to mature your immune response to the virus if you become infected.

It can also help prolong the vaccine in your body, so if you want a holiday later this year it would be smart to get it.

The study has revealed the Pfizer vaccine has contributed to an 83 per cent reduction in the number of deaths of people over the age of 80 as a result of coronavirus.

The AstraZeneca vaccine has also been instrumental in helping cut down hospital admissions and dramatic symptoms.

The BBC reports some European countries have been hesitant to give the AstraZeneca jab to anyone over the age of 65 because trial data showed it was more effective on younger people.

But Prof Van-Tam reckons this latest study on that specific vaccine shows the AstraZeneca candidate was 'clearly vindicated'.

"I think...the data emerging from our program will speak for itself and that other countries will doubtless be very interested in it," Van-Tam added.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: News

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

@stewartperrie