Pfizer, AstraZeneca preventing hospitalizations from Delta variant in Britain

Last month, Public Health England said a single dose of Pfizer or AstraZeneca was only about 33 per cent effective at preventing symptomatic cases of COVID-19 after one dose, but after two doses, that rose to 88 per cent for Pfizer and 60 per cent for AstraZeneca.

On Monday, Public Health England said it had new data that showed the vaccines were doing really well at keeping people from getting extremely sick.

The study, based on 14,000 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 due to the Delta variant between April 12 and June 4, found two doses of either vaccine were more than 90 per cent effective at keeping people out of the hospital. There were a total of 166 hospitalizations in the group.

After one dose, Pfizer was 94 per cent effective against hospitalization, and AstraZeneca’s vaccine was 71 per cent effective.

Ontario infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch says the study is a ray of hope at a time when “good news is in short supply.”

Dr. Gerald Evans, chair of infectious diseases at Queen’s University medical school, said many people still don’t understand that vaccines are still considered effective even if they don’t entirely prevent an illness.

“If people’s aim is ‘I don’t even ever want to get COVID,’ then the vaccine doesn’t look that good,” he said. “But if, if they’re looking at ‘well, I still might get COVID but I’m not going to get really sick,’ then that’s an incredibly encouraging thing.”

Evans said the Delta variant is spreading fastest in the U.K. among people who have no vaccinations at all.

Canada is pivoting to second doses rapidly now, with 1.2 million people joining the fully vaccinated group just in the last four days, and two million in the last 10 days. About 70 per cent of shots are now going to second doses, up from only about 38 per cent a week ago.

Canada is also vaccinating faster than ever, averaging more than 10 doses a day for every 10,000 Canadians in the last week. With more than 13 million doses expected in the next eight days, the supply is also coming in faster than ever.

While individual provinces have set their own vaccine targets and reopening plans, chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam set a tentative national goal to get 75 per cent of eligible Canadians vaccinated with one dose, and 20 per cent with both doses, before most outdoor restrictions can be lifted.

At current rates Canada is set to hit the 75 per cent with one dose goal before the end of this week, and 20 per cent with two in eight to 10 days.

Tam has warned however that with Delta’s added infectiousness, Canadians need to continue to be careful and follow public health orders, particularly between their first and second doses.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2021.

Mia Rabson, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Pfizer, AstraZeneca preventing hospitalizations from Delta variant in Britain

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