COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing hospitalizations and emergency department visits caused by the Delta variant, according to data from a national study.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a recent study that showed which among the three US-approved COVID-19 vaccines are most effective in preventing hospitalizations, ICU visits, or potential intubation.
The recent study found that the Moderna vaccine is slightly more effective in preventing hospitalizations than the Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
“These real-world data show that vaccines remain highly effective at reducing COVID-19 related hospitalizations and emergency department visits, even in the presence of the new COVID-19 variant,” said study author Shaun Grannis, M.D., M.S., Regenstrief Institute vice president for data and analytics, and professor of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine.
“We strongly recommend vaccinations for all who are eligible to reduce serious illness and ease the burden on our healthcare system.”
In total, approximately 32,000 patients that were treated in hospitals in nine US states were studied by the CDC over the summer and it was determined that the Moderna shot was most effective.
The results also showed that unvaccinated individuals with COVID-19 are 5-7 times more likely to need emergency department care or hospitalization, similar to the overall effectiveness prior to the variant.
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The latest CDC report doesn’t specify what makes the Moderna vaccine more effective than its counterparts, though it has been reported that one possibility is that its doses are three times larger and the interval between the two shots is longer at four weeks as opposed to three.
“The bottom line is this: We have the scientific tools we need to turn the corner on this pandemic,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in her latest White House COVID-19 briefing. “Vaccination works and will protect us from the severe complications of COVID-19.”
The study in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report is also the first analysis from the VISION Network to show a marked difference between the effectiveness of the mRNA vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer). In the study’s time period:
Moderna was 95 percent effective at preventing hospitalizations among adults ages 18 and older.
Pfizer was 80 percent effective at preventing hospitalizations among adults ages 18 and older.
Johnson & Johnson was 60 percent effective at preventing hospitalizations among adults ages 18 and older.
The study also found that vaccine effectiveness is lower for people 75 years and older, which has not been shown in previous research. This could be due to a range of factors, including the increased time since vaccination.