KATHMANDU, MAY 21

A new analysis of real data from the rollout of Oxford/AstraZeneca shots in the UK has found that complete two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are around 85 per cent to 90 per cent effective.

Public Health England (PHE), in a press statement, shared that it is for the first time that an analysis has shown this level of effectiveness against symptomatic disease.

Astrazeneca vaccine is the same vaccine that is manufactured by Serum Institute of India as Covishield, which had been provided to the elderly citizens and others during the first round of inoculation in Nepal.

PHE, in its latest weekly COVID-19 vaccine surveillance report published on Thursday, also estimated that 13,000 deaths have been prevented in people aged 60 years or older in England up to May 9, 2021.

The data further exhibits that as many as 11,100 deaths in individuals aged 80 years and older, 1,600 in individuals aged 70 to 79 and 300 in individuals aged 60 to 69 years have been prevented.

Responding to these figures, UK Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock shared that the 13,000 deaths and the 39,100 hospitalisations that have been prevented are not just numbers.

'They are our family, our friends, our loved ones and a poignant reminder of the impact the vaccine is having,' he said.

UK's Vaccines Minister, Nadhim Zahawi also said that there is no better weapon to send this virus into retreat than our life-saving vaccines. 'A second dose is vital to ensure you have the strongest possible protection so we can return to normality and get back to the things we love.'

The study to analyse approximate number of deaths and hospitalisations prevented by the vaccine programme entails impact of both first and second doses.

Prior to this, the method only used the impact of the first dose of vaccination on hospitalisations and deaths.