VACCINATION is highly effective at preventing severe Covid-19 cases, even against the Delta variant, showed a vast study in France.

The research published today – focusing on prevention of severe Covid-19 and death, not infection – looked at 22 million people over the age of 50 and found that those who have received the vaccine are 90% less likely to be hospitalised or die.

This confirms observations from the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel, but researchers said it is the largest study of its kind, so far.

Looking at data collected starting in December last year – when France launched its vaccination campaign – the researchers compared the outcomes of 11 million vaccinated individuals with 11 million unvaccinated subjects.

They formed pairs matching a vaccinated individual with an unvaccinated counterpart from the same region and of the same age and sex, tracking them from the date of the vaccinated person’s second shot to July 20.

Starting 14 days after a second dose, a vaccinated individual’s risk of severe Covid-19 was reduced by 90%, according to the research conducted by Epi-Phare, an independent medicines safety research group that works with the French government.

Vaccination appears to be nearly as effective against the Delta variant, with 84% protection for people older than 75 and 92% for people between the ages of 50 and 75.

However, that estimate is based on only a month of data as the variant became dominant in France only in June.

“The study should be followed up to include results from August and September,” said Epi-Phare head and epidemiologist Mahmoud Zureik.

The study covers vaccination with the AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer-BioNtech shots, but not Jannsen, which was authorised later and far less widely used in France.

The results also suggest that over the period of the study – up to five months – vaccination protection against severe Covid-19 did not diminish. – AFP, October 11, 2021.