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CDC: COVID-19 Vaccines Protect Against Delta Variant
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Study results show that individuals who are unvaccinated are 5 to 7 times more likely to seek medical care because of the predominant strain of the coronavirus.
COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing hospitalizations and visits to the emergency department (ED) and urgent care related to the Delta variant, results from a CDC VISION Network study show.
“These real-world data show that vaccines remain highly effective at reducing COVID-19 related hospitalizations and emergency department visits, even in the presence of the new COVID-19 variant,” Shaun Grannis, MD, Regenstrief Institute’s vice president for data and analytics and a professor of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine, said in a statement. “We strongly recommend vaccinations for all who are eligible to reduce serious illness and ease the burden on our health care system.”
Individuals who are unvaccinated are 5 to 7 times more likely to need ED care or hospitalization, the study results showed.
Investigators determined the effectiveness at preventing hospitalization and visits to the ED or urgent care, but they also compared the effectiveness among the 3 different vaccines: those offered by Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Moderna.
The study results showed that the Moderna vaccine was 95% effective at preventing hospitalizations in individuals aged 18 years or older and Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson had an 80% and 60% effectiveness, respectively.
Likewise, when preventing ED and urgent care visits, the Moderna vaccine was 92% effective, while Pfizer’s effectiveness was 77% and Johnson & Johnson’s was 65% effective.
“Despite the differences in effectiveness, vaccines continue to offer much more protection than not getting one at all,” Grannis said.
“While breakthrough cases do happen, data shows the symptoms are less severe. The vast majority of COVID hospitalizations and deaths continue to be among unvaccinated individuals,” Grannis said.
“COVID-19 vaccines are powerful tools for combating the pandemic,” he said.
The VISION Network, which comprises 7 organizations that work with data from the US health care system about the COVID-19 vaccines, analyzed more than 32,000 medical visits from 9 states from June to August 2021, when the Delta variant became the prominent strain of the coronavirus.
Reference
Vaccines effective against Delta variant. EurekAlert. News release. September 10, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2021. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/928139
