One AZ COVID-19 vaccine dose gives 80% lower death risk - English data

LONDON: Data from the rollout of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine shows one dose of the shot results in 80% less risk of death from the disease, Public Health England said on Monday.

It also said protection against death from the Pfizer-BioNTech (PFE.N), vaccine rises from approximately 80% after one dose to 97% after two doses in its new analysis.

PHE said the study was the first on protection against mortality from the AstraZeneca vaccine based on data from a real world setting.

The study looked at new symptomatic cases of COVID-19 between December and April and people who died within 28 days of their positive test by vaccination status.

People who had a single dose of AstraZeneca vaccine were 55% protected against death, with a figure of 44% protection for a single dose of Pfizer, compared to unvaccinated people.

“Combined with the protection vaccines offer against becoming a case in the first place, this is equivalent to approximately 80% protection against mortality in individuals vaccinated with a single dose of either vaccine,” PHE said in a statement.

Protection against mortality from the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine improved to 69% for cases who had their second dose at least a week before they tested positive. Combined with the estimated protection from getting COVID-19 to start with, this is equivalent to an estimated 97% protection, PHE said.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to confirm further easing of lockdown restrictions in England on Monday, helped in part by the speed of the country’s vaccine rollout.

In another dataset, PHE said that it was estimated that two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine reduces the risk of hospitalisation by 93% for the over 80s.