Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna have had their jabs approved for use in the UK, giving vaccinators a growing arsenal to fight back against COVID-19. Case rates have started falling, with a growing backbone emerging from surging vaccine rates and a tentative easement to the lockdown coming in March. Although uptake has so far exceeded expectations, some people retain concerns surrounding efficacy rates.
How effective are the Covid vaccines?
Public Health England (PHE), the agency responsible for managing the country’s wellbeing, will soon release its detailed analysis of the available Covid jabs.
A data dump due to take place as the Prime Minister addresses Parliament at 3.30pm today will detail how effective each jab is at preventing hospitalisation, death and transmission.
While Number 10 has cautioned the data is preliminary, it will expand on early numbers provided by vaccine manufacturers.
READ MORE: AstraZeneca vaccine: Does the Covid vaccine prevent spread of virus?
How effective is the Pfizer vaccine?
The Pfizer vaccine was the first to receive approval from the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Studies, independent or otherwise, have found the jab is at least 90 percent effective after full dosage.
Israel’s Sheba Medical Centre found it is up to 85 percent effective after one dose, and 93 percent effective at preventing severe illness and death.
The vaccine also reduces the risk of becoming ill with the virus again by 95.8 percent.
How effective is the Sinovac vaccine?
Western medical and pharmaceutical organisations have a wealth of information on candidates developed in Europe and the US.
But they know less about vaccines developed in the more secretive nations to the east.
Jabs of note include the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine and Russian Sputnik V.
Several nations, including Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE, have approved the state-owned Sinopharm jab, which Chinese officials state is 79 percent effective.
They have not made data or trial methods public, so the vaccine’s effectiveness remains unverified in the west.