A single dose of COVID-19 vaccine gives 82 percent protection from fatality found a new study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research- National Institute of Epidemiology (ICMR-NIE).
The preprint study in the Indian Journal of Medical Research also found that two doses of the vaccine provided 95 percent protection against death, reported the Hindu.
Here is a quick look at the key points of the study.
The study was conducted using data of deaths among vaccinated and unvaccinated police personnel in Tamil Nadu.
Of the 31 deaths reported, 4 people were fully vaccinated, 7 had received only one dose, and 20 were unvaccinated.
the rate of death among them was noted to be 1.17, 0.21, and 0.06 per 1000 police personels who received zero, one and two doses respectively.
Analysing this data, the study researchers concluded that one dose of vaccine provided 82 percent protection and two doses gave 95 percent protection against death from COVID-19.
About the Study
The study was conducted by ICMR-NIE in collaboration with Christian Medical College, Vellore on vaccinated and unvaccinated police personnel in the Tamil Nadu state police department.
Of the 1,17,524 police personnel in the state, 32,792 received the first dose, 67,673 received both the doses and 17,059 were unvaccinated.
All vaccines were received between 1 February and 14 May.
The study analyses the data on COVID-related deaths among these police personnel during the second wave to compare the relative risk of death among vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
What the Study Found
According to the data collected by the study, 31 deaths due to COVID-19 were reported among these police personnel between 13 April and 14 May.
Of these, 4 people were fully vaccinated, 7 had received only one dose, and 20 were unvaccinated.
The study’s analysis found that compared to the unvaccinated people, the risk of mortality from COVID was 0.18 percent in those who received one dose and 0.05 percent in those who received two doses of the vaccine.
The study, however, did not analyse the effectiveness of each vaccine seperately, Dr Manoj Murhekar, Director, ICMR-NEI told Indian Express.
The results of this study, are consistent with the results of several previous studies that have also found a single dose of COVID vaccine to cut the risk of severe illness by 80 percent.
“Similar estimates of vaccine effectiveness against severe disease with single dose have been documented in other countries. There is growing evidence now available that a single dose of vaccination can prevent severe outcomes compared with unvaccinated individuals,” the Hindu quoted Dr Murhekar as saying.
These results underscore the importance of increasing vaccination coverage as even a single dose can significantly reduce mortality in impending COVID waves.
(Written with inputs from the Hindu and Indian Express.)
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