AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine is best at keeping people out of hospital and preventing deaths from the virus, a study has found.
Just 1.52 per cent of people who got two doses of the Oxford-made vaccine were admitted to wards after they caught the virus, researchers said. And only 0.03 per cent, or one in 3,000, died from the disease.
But among those who got the Pfizer vaccine 1.99 per cent were hospitalized and 0.15 per cent died after they were infected with the virus.
The AstraZeneca vaccine has formed the backbone of Britain's vaccine roll out, with 25million people having already received the jab. But it was recommended that under-40s should receive an alternative jab in May amid concern over vanishingly rare blood clots.
It comes after Health Secretary Sajid Javid ordered the NHS to prepare to vaccinate 12 to 15-year-olds yesterday, in the clearest sign yet that jabs could be offered to the age group.
The JCVI — which directs Britain's vaccine roll out — is yet to say whether the age group should get the vaccine, but a SAGE adviser said today that inoculating teenagers could slash their risk of getting long Covid.
There is mounting concern that the return of schools next week will spark a fresh wave of Covid infections, after Scotland saw its cases spiral to record highs when schools reopened last Monday.
Britain is currently recording more than 30,000 cases a day on average, compared to almost 2,000 a day at the end of August last year. Scotland yesterday registered almost 7,000 infections, the highest number since the pandemic began.
A separate study from Public Health England and Cambridge University has today suggested people infected with the Indian 'Delta' variant are twice as likely to be hospitalised as those who catch the Kent 'Alpha' variant.
The above graph shows the risk of hospitalisation and death after catching Covid among the un-vaccinated and those who got two doses of either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine. The results showed the AstraZeneca jab was best at preventing hospitalisations and deaths among those who caught the virus
The AstraZeneca vaccine has formed the backbone of Britain's roll out, and been administered to almost 25million people. But in May an alternative jab was recommended for under-40s amid concern over a very rare blood clot
There are warnings the country will face a 'large' Covid wave when schools return in England and Wales. This graph shows Covid cases in Scotland, where schools returned a week ago. The country registered a record 6,835 new cases yesterday
Researchers in Bahrain and at the New York-based Columbia University carried out the study between December and July, which was published as a pre-print.
They monitored hospitalisations and deaths among people who caught the virus in Bahrain, an island nation in the Middle East, and divided them by vaccine type or those who did not get their jabs.
Scientists have always been honest and said that vaccines do not prevent every infection, but they drastically slash the risk of hospitalisation and death from the virus.
The study also included the Chinese Sinopharm and Russian Sputnik jabs, which were both worse at preventing hospitalisations than their European and American counterparts.
For those who got the Sinopharm vaccine 6.94 per cent were hospitalised, and 0.46 per cent died — which was the worst performance out of the four vaccines.
Among Sputnik recipients 2.24 per cent were hospitalised, but only 0.09 per cent died from the virus.
The results showed those who did not get the vaccine were most likely to be hospitalised or die if they caught the virus.
Among the un-vaccinated, 13.22 per cent who caught the virus were hospitalised and 1.32 per cent died.
The Bahraini researchers said in their study: 'All four vaccines decreased the risk of coronavirus infections, hospitalisations, ICU admissions and deaths when compared to unvaccinated individuals.'
Dr Simon Clarke, a microbiologist at Reading University, told The Sun: 'This study shows people in the UK can be confident they’re getting the best vaccines available.
'AstraZeneca and Pfizer provide good protection.'
The Chinese Sinopharm vaccine has been the main jab used in Bahrain, which is home to almost 1.5million people.
More than 569,000 people have been inoculated with the jab.
For comparison, 245,000 residents got the Pfizer jab, 169,000 got AstraZeneca's vaccine and 73,000 received Sputnik.
Clinical trial results suggested the Pfizer vaccine was the most effective at preventing hospitalisations and deaths from Covid.
But experts have warned these figures may not be comparable when jabs are dished out in the real world, when other factors can influence their impact.
Out of 3,000 AstraZeneca recipients included in the study who caught Covid, only 45 were hospitalised (1.52 per cent) and just one died from the virus (0.03 per cent).
Out of 2,000 Pfizer recipients who caught the virus, 40 were hospitalised (1.99 per cent) and three died from the virus (0.15 per cent).
Out of 3,000 Sputnik recipients who caught the virus, 77 were hospitalised (2.24 per cent) and three died (0.09 per cent).
For the Sinopharm vaccine there were 24,000 cases, of whom 1,683 were hospitalised (6.94 per cent) and 112 died (0.46 per cent).
And among the un-vaccinated almost 65,000 caught the virus, of whom almost 9,000 were hospitalised (13.22 per cent) and 857 died (1.32 per cent).
More than 1.5million people have got the US-made Moderna vaccine in Britain, but this was not included in the study.
It came as pupils in parts of the South West were told they will need to wear face masks in corridors and playgrounds when they return to classrooms next week.
The Department of Health announced the extra restrictions for secondary schools and colleges in the area last night to help head off a surge in Covid cases. The measures will apply in England's Covid hotspot Cornwall, as well as Devon, Plymouth, Torbay and the Isles of Scilly.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said that although vaccines have 'tipped the odds in our favour' extra measures were needed to 'control the spread of the virus'.
Mr Javid said: 'Vaccines have built an enormous wall of defence that spans the length of the country, allowing us to regain our lost freedoms — from seeing out loved ones to going on holiday.
'(But) while vaccines have tipped the odds in our favour, we have to keep listening to the data.
'To control the spread of the virus we're working closely with local authorities... to make sure testing is widely available and as many people as possible are protected by the vaccine.'
He added: 'I would urge anyone whether they live in, work in or are just visiting these beautiful areas, to test regularly and make sure you come forward for your jab at the earliest opportunity.'
These measures could be extended to other areas should they also experience a spike in Covid cases.
The Health Secretary has also ordered the NHS to prepare to administer vaccines to 12 to 15-year-olds, in the clearest sign yet that they could be rolled out to the age group.
Vaccinating younger children against coronavirus could help protect them against long Covid as well providing indirect protection for older relatives, experts have claimed.
Dr Mike Tildesley, an epidemiologist from the University of Warwick, said that while the risks of severe Covid are low in young people, long Covid can be more prevalent in them and vaccines can help reduce the chances of developing it.
And Dr Deepti Gurdasani, an epidemiologist at Queen Mary University, also leant her support to widening the rollout to schoolchildren.
She said the benefits outweigh the risks with vaccination for children and insisted 'every day we delay, more children are getting infected'.
Dr Tildsley told Times Radio: 'A younger person, if they get Covid, most of those individuals are very unlikely to develop severe symptoms.
'But of course, we do need to remember that the younger you are, you're not just taking the vaccine for yourself, you're taking it for potentially, indirect protection for your more elderly and more vulnerable relatives.
'And then, of course, there's this issue that some commentators talk about, which is the potential for long Covid and that possibly protects younger people if they're vaccinated.
'All of these things need to be weighed up. Because it's children there are a lot of ethical concerns around that.
'So this is why it's taken a little bit of time for JCVI to make that recommendation that the Government can then make a decision on.'
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