Great news from Public Health Scotland this morning. Their real-world study of vaccine effectiveness shows that after 28 days, just one dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine reduces the risk of hospitalisation by 94%. Pfizer also turned in very good results, showing an 85% reduction in hospitalisations in patients who had received that vaccine. Amongst all patients over 80 (regardless of which vaccine they have had), there has been an 81% reduction in hospitalisations overall.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56153600
What we learn from this:
1. The single dose strategy pursued jointly by HMG and the devolved authorities has been a public health policy triumph. Other nations should emulate it immediately.
2. After a single dose, the Oxford vaccine is significantly more effective at preventing acute Covid than the Pfizer vaccine.