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Vaccination against Sars-CoV-2: The first dose is already effective
Photo: Jason Cairnduff / REUTERS
AstraZeneca's vaccines, as well as Biontech and Pfizer, have shown themselves to be highly effective, according to a new UK study.
Both vaccines would protect at least 60 percent after a dose, the health authority Public Health England announced on Monday.
The study was initially available as a preprint and has not yet been checked by independent experts.
In the UK, more than 20 million people have received a first dose of vaccine.
That is more than every third adult.
The government's goal is to offer all adults a first vaccination by the end of July.
The study is one of the first to examine the vaccines in use and not in the context of clinical trials.
80 percent fewer hospital stays
A study from Scotland, also conducted in the real population, recently showed that hospital stays were reduced by around 94 percent after a dose of AstraZeneca's vaccine.
And the study from Great Britain also confirmed that the vaccination campaign has a positive effect on Covid-related hospital stays: These would decrease by 80 percent in those over 80.
Mortality has also dropped significantly after vaccination - by 85 percent in those over 70 years of age.
Initially, only data were available for the vaccine from Biontech and Pfizer.
"If we are patient and give this vaccination program time to take full effect, hopefully it will open up a whole different world to us in the next few months," said Deputy Chief Medical Advisor to the government, Jonathan Van-Tam.
Health Minister Matt Hancock emphasized that significantly fewer people in the group of over 80s had recently died from or with Covid-19.
The number of corona patients in clinics has also decreased significantly.
These are effects of the vaccination program.
First dose already has high protection
According to the study, a first dose of AstraZeneca in the elderly showed protection against symptomatic progression of 60 to 73 percent, while the first dose of Pfizer and Biontech showed an effectiveness of up to 61 percent around four weeks after vaccination.
"This is further evidence that the vaccines work to reduce infections and save lives," said the head of immunization at the UK health authority, Mary Ramsay of the AFP news agency.
However, she added that it remains unclear whether vaccinated people can pass the virus on even if they do not get the disease themselves.
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kry / AFP / dpa
