Covid vaccine, with two doses, strong protection also against Delta variant: the study

The risk of hospitalization after being infected with the Delta (Indian) variant of the coronavirus is almost double that of the Alpha (English) variant, but two doses of the vaccine still provide strong protection against it, albeit less than the English variant. This is what a research published in the Lancet reveals, which is reported by the British Sky News. According to the data analyzed by the researchers, the Indian variant is the predominant form of coronavirus in the UK and is believed to be 60% more contagious than the English one. Like the previous variants of the virus, even in the case of the Indian one, the people who run the most risk of hospitalization are those with pre-existing diseases. Vaccines, it was found, reduce the risk of hospitalization, but it takes 28 days after administration of the first dose to see strong protective effects against the Indian variant. In particular, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine provides 79% protection against this variant, compared to 92% protection with the English variant. For the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, on the other hand, a protection of 60% was found against infections due to the Indian variant, compared to 73% for the English variant. According to experts, the lower effect of the vaccine could reflect the fact that it takes longer to develop immunity after receiving the Oxford vaccine.The study was funded by the Medical Research Council, UK Research and Innovation Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) and was supported by the Scottish Government. Professor Aziz Sheikh, Director of the Usher Institute at the University of Edinburgh and head of the EAVE II study, said: “Within a few weeks the Delta variant is became the dominant strain of coronavirus in Scotland. Unfortunately it is associated with an increased risk of hospitalization. While perhaps not as effective as the other variants, two doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech and Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccines still offer substantial protection against the risk of infection and hospitalization “.