COVID-19 protection wanes from AstraZeneca, Pfizer jabs in 6 months, finds UK's Zoe app

In what could be a major setback to global efforts in containing COVID-19, a recent phone app study has claimed that protection against the coronavirus from two doses of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines wane in less than six months.

According to data from the UK's Zoe COVID-19 app study, the Pfizer jab was found 88% effective a month after the second dose while the protection fell to 74% after five to six months. Though, the World Health Organisation (WHO) slammed western countries for planning a booster shot as millions in the world are yet to receive a single dose, the latest finding advocates for an additional shot of the COVID-19 vaccine for maximum protection. 

Protection from AstraZeneca COVID jap drops to 77% after a month

With more than 1.2 million test results and participants, the Zoe study claimed that the Pfizer jab provided a 96.2% reduction in infection risk up to 2 months after the second dose. However, the vaccine protection was reduced to 74% after over six months. The researchers claimed that protection from the AstraZeneca vaccine dropped to 77% after a month and to 67% after four to five months. "This could be for many reasons, including a greater number of people with underlying health conditions in the general population compared to trial participants and variability in how the vaccines were stored and administered," the study said explaining the numbers.

"This means that the majority of people who had their second dose five to six months ago will be older or vulnerable due to other health reasons, placing them at increased risk of COVID-19 compared to those vaccinated more recently," the study informed.

Study appeals to people to take COVID jabs 

The study, however, advocated the importance of vaccination and appealed to people to take the vaccine jabs in order to protect themselves from the highly contagious Delta variant. It suggested vaccine manufacturers to update their vaccination strategy in order to provide protection for a longer period of time.

Professor Tim Spector, a lead scientist at the ZOE COVID Study, was quoted by media houses as saying, "A reasonable worst-case scenario could see protection below 50% for the elderly and healthcare workers by winter. With high levels of infection in the UK, driven by loosened social restrictions and a highly transmissible variant, this scenario could mean increased hospitalisations and deaths. “We urgently need to make plans for vaccine boosters, and based on vaccine resources, decide if a strategy to vaccinate children is sensible if our aim is to reduce deaths and hospital admissions.” 

(Image: AP/ANI)