According to a new study, the COVID-19 vaccine efficiency has lowered since the Delta variant emerged. Initially, the vaccine was 91 percent efficient, but now it dropped to 66 percent.
The paper shows “the sustained two-thirds reduction in infection risk underscores the continued importance and benefits of COVID-19 vaccination.” It also focuses on the frontline workers who receive weekly PCR tests to understand the virus better in case of a group infection.
Researchers found 19 infections among 488 unvaccinated people when Delta was prevailing around the world. However, only 24 cases among 2,352 fully vaccinated people.
“Notably, this analysis did not show difference over time, which suggests [vaccine] effectiveness is also decreased against Delta, independent of when you were vaccinated,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said last week.
Covid ‘under control’ by spring
According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the virus could be under control by spring next year if more people get the vaccine. However, this promising outcome is up to the people to make. So far, experts don’t know the exact percentage of the population that needs to get vaccinated in order for the country to get back to normal. However, the way to get there was made very clear.
“If we have more people vaccinated, it’s likely we will decouple hospitalizations from cases, and maybe that will be a definition of control. (If) people aren’t getting that sick anymore, ending up in the hospital, the virus starts to slowly not have places to circulate, that will be a definition of control. I think we’re going to see waves of this for some time,” said Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
So far, 51,5 percent of the US is fully vaccinated. The good news is that people 16 and older will be able to receive the vaccine as well. The US Food and Drug Administration approved Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for underaged people. Hopefully, this will encourage more citizens to get the vaccine.