New figures due to be handed to government officials today indicate that Covid vaccinations are having a substantial positive effect on hospitalisations. While 74,000 people have been admitted to hospital with Covid over the past few months, only 32 were people who had already been vaccinated and had time to build up immunity.
The number of hospital patients across the UK with Covid-19 has now plummeted, with figures indicating there were only 1,973 Covid patients in hospital as of Sunday 18th April. This is a far cry from the tens of thousands in hospital late last year and during the early part of this year before the vaccination rollout began to pick up steam.
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Described as extraordinary
Scientists involved in the research said the data shows vaccinations appear to be having an extraordinary impact when it comes to reducing both hospital admissions and deaths from the virus.
The Coronavirus Clinical Characterisation Consortium conducted this recent research. As part of the research, experts looked at people who had received only their first dose but had the time to build up some level of immunity, as well as those who had received both doses. Data relating to over 74,000 patients who were admitted to hospital between September 2020 and March this year was analysed.
One of the researchers involved in the study, Professor Calum Semple from the University of Liverpool, said, “What this shows is that in a real-world situation the vaccines are highly effective – not only do they work, but they work extraordinarily well.”
Previous work has already been carried out, with the results being submitted to SAGE just last month. This early data showed that out of 43,000 people hospitalised with the virus since early December, 1,800 had received Covid vaccines. However, experts said that most of those vaccinated had not had adequate time to build up immunity before contracting the virus.
Impact on lockdown
Many people will hope these latest figures will encourage Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, to speed up his roadmap out of lockdown. However, the PM has described his plans for easing lockdown as ‘cautious but irreversible’ and has no plans to deviate from them.
Mr Johnson said that it was clear that the vaccines were making a significant positive difference but that he had no plans to speed up the lifting of restrictions. The reopening of pubs and non-essential shops, hairdressers, and gyms has already taken place. The next step will be on 17th May, when restaurants and indoor hospitality venues are set to reopen, and international travel will be allowed.
