How well are the vaccines preventing death from Delta?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-10-21 15:15

International

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Both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines are about 90 per cent effective at preventing death after infection with the Delta COVID-19 variant, according to a Scottish study. The researchers used population data to find about 100,000 people infected with Delta, 201 of which died. For those who had been vaccinated, the researchers say Pfizer was 90 per cent effective at preventing death and AstraZeneca was 91 per cent effective. They say Pfizer was slightly more effective at preventing death than AstraZeneca in those aged 40-59, while AstraZeneca was slightly more effective for those 60 or over. No fully vaccinated people aged 16-39 within the cohort died as a result of COVID-19 compared to 17 unvaccinated people.

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Research Massachusetts Medical Society, Web page

Journal/
conference: New England Journal of Medicine

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: University of Edinburgh, UK

Funder: Supported by a grant (MR/R008345/1) from the Medical Research Council; a grant (MC_PC_19004) from BREATHE–The Health Data Research Hub for Respiratory Health, funded through the U.K. Research and Innovation Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and delivered through Health Data Research UK; Public Health Scotland; and the Scottish Government Director General for Health and Social Care.

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