Fully vaccinated persons significantly less susceptible to the dreaded delta variant

More and more people have now been vaccinated against the coronavirus. But not everyone is convinced. Because now that the delta variant is becoming more and more dominant, some are wondering whether the vaccine will also work against this dreaded variant. A new study creates clarity.

The study

In the study, British researchers studied nearly 100,000 people. 0.63 percent of them were found to have the coronavirus, which corresponds to 1 in 158. Then 254 samples were analyzed in the laboratory to determine the origin. And all these people turned out to be infected with the delta variant.

less susceptible

After analyzing the test results, the researchers come to a rather reassuring discovery. Because fully vaccinated people appear to be considerably less susceptible to the dreaded delta variant. For example, people who have been double vaccinated are three times less likely to test positive for the corona virus than non-vaccinated people. All in all, the researchers state that vaccination reduces the risk of infection by the delta variant by 50 to 60 percent.

Less contagious

And those who do become infected do not transfer the virus to others so easily after vaccination, the study shows. According to the researchers, this is because vaccinated people carry fewer virus particles with them. And therefore the chance that they pass on the virus is also smaller. “This is an important development in understanding how we can defeat the virus,” said researcher Kelly Beaver.

Good protection

The findings from the study are encouraging. Because it means that vaccination also works against the dreaded delta variant. “The results confirm our previous data showing that both doses of the vaccine provide good protection against infection,” concluded study researcher Paul Elliott.

breakthrough infections

However, that does not mean that fully vaccinated people will no longer get COVID-19 at all. All over the world, reports recently came in of fully vaccinated people still getting sick. This is not surprising to scientists. “There is still a risk of infection, as no vaccine offers 100 percent protection,” Elliot said. “We know that double-vaccinated people can still get sick from the virus.” These so-called breakthrough infections were therefore to be expected. Especially with a view to the delta variant. “The delta variant is known to be highly contagious,” said researcher Steven Riley. “And as a result, we can conclude from our data that breakthrough infections also occur in fully vaccinated people. It is important to understand how contagious fully vaccinated people are in order to better predict the situation in the coming months. And our findings contribute to a more comprehensive picture.”

All in all, we are moving in the right direction, but the battle is not over yet. “Today’s report shows the importance of taking personal responsibility by isolating yourself, getting tested if you have symptoms and wearing masks where necessary,” said Sajid Javid, the UK’s Minister of Health and Social Care. . Moreover, according to the minister, it is important that everyone is vaccinated. “The vaccines are safe and they work,” he concludes.