COVID vaccines are 97% effective against new Indian variant

A leading researcher who carried out a study involving health workers in India has found that the AstraZeneca vaccine gave those who received just one dose of the jab 97.38% protection from the Indian variant of the coronavirus.

Study on Indian variant

Further findings from the Indian scientist showed that upon being administered one dose of the AstraZeneca jab, the risk of being hospitalised with the strain was just 0.06%. Anupam Sibal, group medical director in charge of the study in question said:

Our study demonstrated that 97.38 per cent of those vaccinated were protected from an infection and hospitalisation rate was only 0.06 per cent.

But although these statistics are promising, not enough data has been recorded in the UK to corroborate the study conducted at the Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in New Delhi as only 1,313 cases have been detected across the four kingdoms.

Based on real world data from Britain's vaccine rollout, Public Health England estimates that the vaccine can prevent transmission of the Kent variant by 70%.

Still, Health Secretary Matt Hancock explains that the best line of defence against the coronavirus, in all its forms, is to get vaccinated while maintaining precaution now more than ever since the easing of restrictions. He explained that:

We can stay on course with our strategy of using the vaccine to deal with the pandemic and opening up carefully and cautiously but we do need to be really very vigilant to the spread of the disease. We have a high degree of confidence that the vaccine will overcome.

No more resistant than other strains

Further, Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at Oxford, confirmed that his team's research into the Indian variant currently ravaging its country of origin found that it was no more resistant to vaccines than other strains already in circulation. He said:

It looks like the Indian variant will be susceptible to the vaccine in the way that others are,' he told Times Radio. The data looks rather promising. I think the vaccinated population are going to be fine. And we just need to pump our way through this.