Two doses of AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine cuts risk of death by 94%

Two doses of AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine slash the risk of death from the disease by 94 per cent among the over-65s, an official report revealed today.

Public Health England’s release marks the first time officials have put a figure on the jabs effectiveness against mortality, after holding back from an estimate because the shot was only rolled out six months ago.

They added two doses of the jab cut the risk of death by 92 per cent among the under-65s. With just one dose, the risk was slashed by 83 per cent among over-65s and 79 per cent among under-65s.

Pfizer’s Covid vaccine was estimated to cut the risk of death by 98 per cent after two doses in all age groups. After one dose, it slashed the risk by 77 per cent among over-65s and 73 per cent among under-65s. 

Consultant epidemiologist at PHE, Jamie Bernal, said: ‘This data gives us even more confidence that the vaccines offer high levels of protection against Covid across all age groups.

Dr Peter English, a vaccinologist and past chair of the British Medical Association’s Public Health Medicine Committee, said the data was ‘very encouraging’. 

Scientific studies suggested AstraZeneca’s jab cut the risk of death from Covid by up to 100 per cent in all age groups. But these trials involved very few older adults.

PHE bosses had held off calculating the figure because AstraZeneca’s jab was only rolled out from January, whereas Pfizer’s was first administered a month earlier.

More than 24.5million first doses of the Oxford-made vaccine have been administered since the rollout began, and 20.7million second doses.  

 PHE bosses calculated the figures using data on Covid deaths among those who had and had not received a jab. Figures from when the Kent ‘Alpha’ variant was dominant were used, although it is thought the Indian ‘Delta’ variant does not pose a much higher risk to the population.