Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines found to reduce Scotland hospital admissions by 85% and 94%

The Pfizer and AstraZeneca Covid vaccines have both been found to have an impact in the reduction of a person’s risk of hospital admission from coronavirus, according to new research (Photo: Getty Images)The Pfizer and AstraZeneca Covid vaccines have both been found to have an impact in the reduction of a person’s risk of hospital admission from coronavirus, according to new research (Photo: Getty Images)
The Pfizer and AstraZeneca Covid vaccines have both been found to have an impact in the reduction of a person’s risk of hospital admission from coronavirus, according to new research (Photo: Getty Images)

The Pfizer and AstraZeneca Covid vaccines have both been found to have an impact in the reduction of a person’s risk of hospital admission from coronavirus, according to new research.

Research found that by the fourth week after the first dose of a vaccine, hospitalisations in Scotland were reduced by 85 per cent for the Pfizer vaccine and 94 per cent for the AstraZeneca jab.

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Reduction in risk of hospital admission

The analysis included experts from Public Health Scotland (PHS and the Universities of Edinburgh, Strathclyde, Aberdeen, Glasgow and St Andrews, who examined GP records on vaccination, hospital admissions, death registrations and laboratory test results among people who had had their first vaccine dose, in comparison to those who had not yet had a jab.

The scientists looked at data from those who had received either the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab or the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

Research found that four weeks after receiving the initial dose, the Oxford jab reduced a person’s risk of hospital admission by 94 per cent, and the Pfizer jab reduced risk by 85 per cent between 28 and 34 days after the initial dose.

This preliminary data from the EAVE II project covers 1.14 million vaccinations given between 8 December 2020 and 15 February 2021.

In total, analysis found that there were just over 8,000 people who were admitted to hospital.

Alongside this, data for the two jabs combined showed that the reduction in risk of hospital admission four weeks after the first Covid vaccine dose among those over the age of 80 was 81 per cent.

‘These results are very encouraging’

Lead researcher, professor Aziz Sheikh, director of the University of Edinburgh’s Usher Institute, said that these results provide optimism for the future.

Mr Sheikh 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 hospitalisations.

“Rollout of the first vaccine dose now needs to be accelerated globally to help overcome this terrible disease.”

In regards to the use of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines in other parts of the world, the study team said that the findings from the analysis are also applicable to other countries using the two vaccines.