Covid-19: Vaccination has led to a sharp dip in hospitalisation in UK, says study

On Monday, February 22, two UK studies revealed that COVID-19 vaccination programs are contributing to a dip in hospitalisations. A study in Scotland says that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine reduced hospital admissions by 85 per cent, just four weeks after the first dose. Also, the Oxford-AstraZeneca cut the hospitalisations by up to 94 per cent. In England, a study revealed that health care workers showed that the Pfizer vaccine reduced the risk of catching COVID-19 by 70 per cent after just one dose. 

'The jab protects you'

These studies were released when British Prime Minister Boris Johnson laid out plans to ease the lockdown. According to the reports by AP, UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said, “This new evidence shows that the jab protects you, and protects those around you”. He added, “It is important that we see as much evidence as possible on the vaccine’s impact on protection and on transmission and we will continue to publish evidence as we gather it”. 

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The Scotland study was conducted by scientists at the University of Edinburgh, the University of Strathclyde and Public Health Scotland. Public Health England said that its study of health-care workers suggests that the vaccine may help prevent virus transmission “as you cannot spread the virus if you do not have infection”. These findings come from COVID-19 testing conducted every two weeks. Professor Aziz Sheikh, director of the University of Edinburgh’s Usher Institute said, “These results are very encouraging and have given us great reasons to be optimistic for the future. We now have national evidence — across an entire country — that vaccination provides protection against COVID-19 hospitalizations”.

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Johnson declares a better summer 

Johnson recently declared that the spring and summer could be “incomparably better” in the UK, as he announced the government’s roadmap to cautiously ease lockdown restrictions in England. In a statement to parliament on February 22, the British Prime minister announced a 4-stage plan for the reopening of the nightclubs, sporting activities to resume, and holidays to return across the country. While drafting a route back to a “more normal way of life”, PM Johnson announced the easing of restrictions, saying that the government will move cautiously to keep the infection under control. Citing the UK’s vaccination program, the British PM told the nation that his administration, along with Public Health England has been able to bring the hospitalization rate and deaths down by at least 75 percent with the administration of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. 

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Also Read: COVID-19: UK PM Promises 'incomparably Better' Summer; Announces Lockdown Removal By June

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