Oxford Study reveals Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine effect declines faster than AstraZeneca

As the COVID-19 situation continues to be fragile and the threat still far from over, countries across the world have ramped up the vaccination drive for the safety of their citizens. However, a recent study by the researchers at the University of Oxford found that the effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19 declines faster than that of the AstraZeneca jab.

The study revealed that two jabs of Pfizer-BioNTech have higher initial effectiveness against the virus but also declines at a greater rate compared with two doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca. University’s Nuffield Department of Medicine found a significant difference in the dynamics of immunity after two doses of Pfizer and AstraZeneca.

58% of Israel's population administered the Pfizer vaccine

The study is based on findings of a survey by Britain’s Office for National Statistics that carried out random PCR tests from December 2020 to August 2021. However, the study is yet to be peer-reviewed. The study's result has come at a time when Israel is already administering booster shots after inoculating at least 58% of its population with two hots of the Pfizer jab.

The United States is also on the verge of offering booster vaccines following concerns over the effectiveness of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. However, on the basis of the findings, researchers also claimed that the effectiveness of both vaccines after four to five months would be almost the same. They added that their long-term effects need to be reviewed further. 

The study based its report upon examining over 3,00,000 people  

The study based its result upon examining two groups of more than 3,00,000 people over the age of 18 years. The first examination was conducted during the period dominated by the Alpha variant, which emerged in Kent, England, while the second was conducted from May 2021 onwards, where the Delta variant has been dominant.

The findings also noted that protection was higher among those who had already been infected with the virus. It should be noted here that since December 2020, the Pfizer, Oxford vaccine and Moderna have contributed to the United Kingdom's successful vaccination programme. Pfizer vaccine was developed by an American corporation called Pfizer and BioNTech, a German biotechnology company. 

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