Pfizer vaccine 90% effective in preventing severe COVID cases and hospitalizations for at least 6 months



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Pfizer BioNTech coronavirus vaccine

Pfizer BioNTech coronavirus vaccine

Vincent Kalut / Photonews via Getty Images Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine

A new Pfizer-funded study that interviewed 3,436,957 participants and was recorded over the course of six months determined that the COVID-19 vaccine is 90% effective against severe symptoms and hospitalizations.

The study, conducted by researchers at healthcare organization Kaiser Permanente Southern California, used data from December 2020 through August 2021 and was published on Monday. The participants were aged 12 and over and were members of the health care organization.

The researchers determined that the effectiveness against the infection was reduced from 88 percent in the first month after full vaccination to 47 percent five months later. Specifically geared towards the highly contagious Delta variant – efficacy was 93% in the first month after full vaccination and 53% five months later.

Staff prepare doses of Pfizer vaccine inside the Melbourne Showgrounds COVID-19 Vaccination Center on July 20, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia

Staff prepare doses of Pfizer vaccine inside the Melbourne Showgrounds COVID-19 Vaccination Center on July 20, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia

Daniel Pockett / Getty

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Despite the decline in infection efficacy, 90% of Pfizer vaccine participants did not experience severe symptoms of COVID-19 and did not require hospitalization. The hospitalization protection rate was 93% for the Delta variant.

Of the 3,436,957 participants, only 5.4 percent had breakthrough infections. Of the 5.4 percent who tested positive, 6.6 percent required hospitalization.

“Our study confirms that vaccines are an essential tool in controlling the pandemic and remain very effective in preventing serious illness and hospitalizations, including Delta and other variants of concern,” said lead author of the study. , Dr Sara Tartof, in a press release. obtained by HealthDay.

“Protection against infection wanes in the months following a second dose,” she continued, noting, “While this study provides evidence that immunity wanes for all age groups who received the vaccine, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices called for additional research to determine whether boosters should be available for all age groups eligible for this vaccine. “

Covid-19 vaccine

Covid-19 vaccine

JOEL SAGET / AFP via Getty Images Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

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Tartof added: “In accordance with the recent [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] and CDC recommendations, booster injections considerations should take into account the global supply of COVID-19 vaccines, as people in many countries around the world have yet to receive a primary vaccination series. “

Pfizer gained FDA approval for its vaccine in people aged 16 and older in August and was given the green light to give booster shots. The vaccine is still under approval for emergency use for children ages 12 to 15, as the FDA continues to fully control the vaccine.

Last month, the drug company concluded after conducting its own study that the vaccine was safe for children aged 5 to 11.

The company released its first test results for this age group, reporting that there was a “favorable safety profile and robust neutralizing antibody responses” in children, using a lower dose in both. injections than what older people would receive (10 µg instead of 30). µg). They said the results showed that “the vaccine was safe and well tolerated” in children.

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“In the past nine months, hundreds of millions of people aged 12 and over around the world have received our COVID-19 vaccine. We look forward to expanding the protection offered by the vaccine to this younger population, subject to regulatory clearance, especially as we monitor the spread of the Delta variant and the substantial threat it poses to children, ”said Albert Bourla, Chairman and CEO of Pfizer, said in a statement.

“Since July, pediatric cases of COVID-19 have increased by approximately 240% in the United States, underscoring the public health need for vaccination,” Bourla continued. “These trial results provide a solid basis for seeking approval for our vaccine for children aged 5 to 11, and we plan to submit them to the FDA and other regulatory agencies as a matter of urgency.”

Results from the other two age groups of the trial (children 2 to 5 years old and children 6 months to 2 years old) are expected later this year.

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