In accordance with analyze Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 96% effective in preventing hospitalizations due to Delta infections after two doses of the vaccine, according to British health authorities. In the case of the Oxford-AstraZenecao vaccine, the efficacy rate is 92%.
These efficacy rates are comparable to those of these vaccines in preventing hospitalization for the Alpha variant, first discovered in the UK.
This study was based on 14,019 cases of the Delta variant, 166 of which were hospitalized between April 12 and June 4.
The level of protection of these vaccines against mortality from the Delta variant is still under study. “However, as with other options, it is expected to be high,” says Public Health England.
In another analysis, the health agency has already concluded that the vaccine dose is 17% less effective in preventing the symptomatic disease of the Delta variant than the Alpha variant. However, after two doses, “the difference is only small.”
These findings are consistent with mentioned virologist Pedro Simas this Monday, the day he explained that so far there hasn’t been a variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that “interferes with the protective effect” of covid-19 vaccines, stressing that they are all effective in preventing serious illness and death.
“This does not mean that very rare cases do not occur, but we cannot focus on the rare, and now we have to look at the common good that is misleading,” defended Pedro Simas.
The specialist spoke with Lusa agency about the Delta option related to India, about the increase in cases in Lisbon and the Vale do Tejo region and about hospitalization, in some cases people have already received the first dose of the vaccine.
A virologist at the University of Lisbon’s Molecular Institute stated that “it is very rare for a person to be vaccinated, be immune and contract an infection, whatever it may be, and die,” explaining that he must have other diseases. health conditions such as chronic illness are very serious.
Regarding the increase in the number of cases, Pedro Simas said that “there is a small increase”, which is normal due to the lack of conditions, but the numbers are “very small”.
“At the moment, the circulation of the virus is not a problem because the populations at risk are protected and the virus is already spreading with non-exponential spread,” he said.
On the other hand, vaccinated people, upon contact with the virus, renew their immunity, which will be “much more complete, against several viral proteins, not just one.”
Pedro Simas recalled that 43% of the Portuguese population are vaccinated with at least one dose of the vaccine, which is “sufficient to ensure cellular immunity, protection from serious illness and death.”
If you add to this 43% about 15% of people immunized naturally because they contracted COVID-19, about 15%, which is “net profit”, then in Portugal there is almost “58% of the population’s immunity.”
