[ad_1]
(Bloomberg) – One dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine offers two-thirds protection against the coronavirus, data seen by the UK government suggests.
The first results of the UK’s vaccination schedule, which is expected to be released in a few days, show that the first dose reduced the risk of symptomatic infection in patients by 65% in young adults and 64% in older patients. 80, said a person familiar with the matter.
The data, first reported by The Sun journal, showed that two doses of Pfizer’s vaccine increased protection between 79% and 84%, depending on age. The AstraZeneca vaccine offers similar protection, according to the journal.
Read more: HK Panel to meet on Sinovac: Japan will not lift the emergency
While the efficacy results are lower than those found in Pfizer’s clinical trials, Boris Johnson’s government is likely to welcome the UK’s first real data as a significant boost to its efforts to immunize the population. A successful mass vaccine rollout is key to the government’s hopes of reopening the economy after months of lockdown.
More than 12.6 million people in the UK have so far received their first doses of the Pfizer vaccine or the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, according to the latest data released on Tuesday. This includes over 90% of those over 80.
Johnson has set a goal of vaccinating nearly 15 million people by February 15, focusing on the most vulnerable groups and their caregivers. After that, his team will look at when and how to start lifting the UK’s third national lockdown, which has been in place since last month and which has compounded the economic damage already done by the country’s deepest recession in more than 300 years.
From March 8, schools could begin to reopen, followed by the relaxation of other curbs. But although the vaccine’s deployment in the UK is one of the most advanced in the world, the only big doubt is whether the vaccines will remain effective against the new strains of coronavirus.
This week, Johnson led efforts to reassure the public that vaccines will always work to prevent the most serious illnesses and deaths from the South African variant. Some scientists fear the tension is much more widespread in the UK and could derail the plan to lift the restrictions.
Read more: UK officials fear South Africa’s tension could jeopardize recovery
Data from the real-world deployment of Britain’s two vaccines will be critical in determining how quickly the government can begin to ease the lockdown.
Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, said the initial results were “quite astonishing” and he believed that the gradual lifting of curbs would be possible, starting with schools from the beginning of March.
“If these numbers are confirmed, they are very reassuring,” Hunter told The Sun. “If they get 65% protection after three weeks with both jabs, then I think that’s really good.”
The government has rolled out more population surge tests in parts of Lambeth, south London, in a bid to trace and contain the new strain there.
For more articles like this please visit us on bloomberg.com
Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted source of business news.
© 2021 Bloomberg LP
[ad_2]
Source link