A study conducted in the US found that coronavirus vaccines are effective at preventing hospitalisations and emergency department visits caused due to the Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The national data used by the researchers indicates that Moderna’s vaccine is significantly more effective than Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson preventives against the Delta variant.
The study author Shaun Grannis, vice president for data and analytics at Regenstrief Institute in the US said, “These real-world data show that vaccines remain highly effective at reducing COVID-19 related hospitalisations and emergency department visits, even in the presence of the new COVID-19 variant.”
“We strongly recommend vaccinations for all who are eligible to reduce serious illness and ease the burden on our healthcare system,” Grannis said in a statement.
When the Delta variant became the predominant strain, more than 32,000 medical encounters from nine states during June, July and August 2021 was analysed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s VISION Network, noted the authors.
They said, the results of the show that the individuals who are not vaccinated with the coronavirus jabs are 5 to 7 times more likely to need emergency department care or hospitalization that is similar to the overall effectiveness before the variant.
The study in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, published by CDC which is a weekly epidemiological digest for the US, is also the first analysis from the VISION Network to show a marked difference between the effectiveness of the mRNA vaccines.
It was found during the study time period that, Moderna was 95 per cent effective at preventing hospitalisations among adults aged 18 and older. Other vaccines like Pfizer was 80 percent effective while the Johnson & Johnson preventive was 60 per cent effective at preventing hospitalisations among adults ages 18 and older.
The study also found that vaccine effectiveness is lesser for people 75 years and older, which has not been shown in previous research. The researchers explained that this could be due to a range of factors, including the increased time since vaccination.
When it came to preventing emergency department and urgent care visits, analysis showed that Moderna was 92 per cent effective, Pfizer was 77 per cent effective, while Johnson & Johnson was 65 per cent effective.
“Despite the differences in effectiveness, vaccines continue to offer much more protection than not getting one at all,” said Grannis, who is also a professor at Indiana University School of Medicine, US.
“While breakthrough cases do happen, data shows the symptoms are less severe, he said. The authors of the study noted that a vast majority of COVID hospitalisations and deaths continue to be among unvaccinated individuals. They added that coronavirus vaccines are powerful tools for fighting the pandemic.
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