Covid-19 vaccinations reduce hospitalizations and deaths, UK says

LONDON – The rapid deployment of the vaccine in the UK has contributed to a substantial drop in infections, hospitalizations and deaths from Covid-19, according to data which adds to a growing body of evidence that vaccines offer significant protection against disease.

The new information from the UK, released on Monday, is preliminary and has not been reviewed by other scientists, but provides grounds for optimism that vaccines offer a way out of a pandemic that has claimed at least 2.5 million lives worldwide and sickened tens of millions.

Data suggests that vaccines are the most effective in preventing hospitalizations and death, a major concern of health authorities. Although vaccines also suppress new infections, the effect is not as pronounced.

The information appears to justify the UK’s policy of stretching limited vaccine stocks by delaying a second vaccine for up to 12 weeks after the first, while also highlighting the added protection that comes from a second vaccine.

The data includes an analysis of the effect of vaccinations in the elderly, a study of infection in vaccinated and unvaccinated healthcare workers, and a general overview of vaccinations in Scotland which covered more than five million people.