UK hails AstraZeneca vaccine, says 2 doses give up to 90% protection from COVID symptoms

Two doses of AstraZeneca Plc.’s vaccine gives about 85 to 90 per cent immunity against the symptomatic COVID-19 disease, Public Health England said on May 20 urging people to get their jabs. In their latest report, the government agency emphasized that an estimated 13,000 deaths have been prevented in England as of May 9 in people ageing 60 or older. Additionally, it also said that vaccines have successfully stopped more than 40,000 hospitalizations of people above 65 years of age.

Soon after the figures were released, the country’s health Secretary Matt Hancock in a statement, asserted that taking vaccines was particularly important now as the threat of new variants has surged. “This new data shows the vaccine saves lives and protects you from ending up in hospital with COVID-19. With the threat of new variants, it’s never been more important to get the vaccine,” Hancock said.

Vaccination in the UK

The UK, which has fully vaccinated almost a third of its population, has focused on giving the first dose to as many people as possible, extending the interval between doses to as long as 12 weeks. According to officials statistics, 37,250,363 people have received their first dose. While 21,239,471 have received both the jabs, as of May 19. Experts say the National Health Service, one of the country’s most revered institutions, is able to target the whole population and easily identify those most at risk because almost everyone is registered with a local, state-employed general practitioner. Additionally, the administration's early procurement of vaccine shots also played a key role in the country's successful inoculation drive. 

Last week, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the United Kingdom will work with the World Health Organization, other partners, and countries to develop an advanced international pathogen surveillance network to identify COVID-19 variants and other emerging diseases. In an official statement by the Foreign Office, Johnson said, "The world must never be caught unawares again by a virus spreading among us unchecked. We need to build a system of disease surveillance fit for the 21st century, with real-time data sharing and rapid genomic sequencing and response."

Image: AP