Real-World Study in US Shows That Pfizer-BioNTech’s & Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccines Can Reduce Risk of Infection by 80%

When news of COVID-19 vaccines first broke out, people were understandably hesitant.

Sure, the world has been waiting for a cure. But at what cost, exactly? After all, it has not been that long since the pandemic emerged.

Are the vaccines genuinely safe for consumption?

Or will they turn us into mindless zombies, as the 2007 thriller I Am Legend portrayed so realistically before?

Well, it now appears that they may, contrary to Robert Neville’s greatest fears, indeed be the real deal.

Fresh off revelations that vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have actually reduced hospitalisation rates all around the world, we now learn that the vaccines could potentially reduce the risk of infection by as much as 80 percent…

Just two weeks or more after the first shot.

And for the record, that statistic figure jumps to 90 per cent after the second.

Real-World Study in US Shows That Pfizer-BioNTech’s & Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccines Can Reduce Risk of Infection by 80%

According to a real-world study, it has been discovered that COVID-19 vaccines, which were developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, could actually eliminate as much as 80% of the risk of infection, after just one of two shots.

After the second shot, that figure jumps to 90 per cent.

Conducted by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the study comprises of 3,950 individuals in six states, and was conducted from 14 Dec 2020 to 13 March 2021.

Apart from vulnerable groups, the study also included a mix of participants who have already developed symptoms and infections, as well as those who were infected but were still feeling well.

Suffice to say; results have proved pleasing to the ears.

“This study shows that our national vaccination efforts are working,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said.

“The authorised mRNA COVID-19 vaccines provided early, substantial real-world protection against infection for our nation’s healthcare personnel, first responders, and other frontline essential workers,” he added.

Precautionary

Despite the promising results, the CDC has warned that the estimates should be interpreted in a cautious manner.

This is due to the relatively small number of infections confirmed, as well as insufficient data to separate between the two vaccines.

Nevertheless, we can take heart that at the very least, the vaccines appear to be working.

And at no real risk of us turning into zombies either.

Singapore

Over in Singapore, Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, as well as Pfizer-BioNTech’s, are already in use.

According to a statement by MOH on 8 Mar 2021, more than 596,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered.

Out of these, 217,000 have completed the full vaccination (received two doses) while another 379,000 are waiting to receive their second dosage.

MOH has also highlighted a few groups that they’ll extend COVID-19 vaccination to as more COVID-19 vaccine stocks arrive:

• Other high-risk groups at risk of exposure to COVID-19
• Essential personnel in other critical functions such as news reporters, delivery staff, postmen and bank staff
• People with multiple touchpoints with many others in the community such as those in the food delivery industry and those who work in hawker centres and markets
• Educators and staff, starting from pre-school, national schools, ITEs, and polytechnics before moving on to other educational institutes

In addition, vaccination will be extended to other segments of the population from April 2021 onwards, and all long-term residents and Singaporeans will get the chance to be vaccinated.

Meanwhile, another vaccine from China, Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac’s vaccine, may soon be deemed safe for use here as well.

Singapore has already received shipments of Sinovac’s vaccine, but it has not been approved for use yet.

According to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), it’s still awaiting Sinovac’s submission of all the necessary vaccine data to decide the approval process.

On Monday (22 March), Sinovac announced that its vaccine appears to be safe and that it appears able to trigger immune responses among children and adolescents.

Elsewhere in the world, the third vaccine from Johnson & Johnson has become available for use.

Featured Image: Viacheslav Lopatin / Shutterstock.com