Coronavirus Outbreak

Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Linked With Fewer Asymptomatic Infections: Study

According to an expert, by preventing infections, including in people who have no symptoms, there is a high possibility that vaccination will decrease transmission of SARS-CoV-2

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Highlights
  • Protection is greater for those who completed two doses: Experts
  • The research studied over 5,000 people
  • The research in published in the Journal of American Medical Association

New Delhi: People who received the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a US hospital had dramatically lower symptomatic and asymptomatic infections compared with their unvaccinated peers, according to a study. The research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, is among the first to show an association between COVID-19 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination and fewer asymptomatic infections. “While further research is needed, by preventing infections, including in people who have no symptoms, there is a high possibility that vaccination will decrease transmission of SARS-CoV-2,” said Diego Hijano from the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the US.

Also Read: COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery By Age May Mitigate Deaths And Severe Health Impacts: Study

The study involved 5,217 St. Jude employees who were eligible under Tennessee state guidelines for vaccination between December 17, 2020, and March 20, 2021. More than 58 per cent of employees were vaccinated during that period. Most workers received both doses.

Overall, vaccination reduced the risk of asymptomatic and symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection by 79 per cent in vaccinated employees compared with their unvaccinated colleagues, the researchers said.

An analysis of asymptomatic infections alone found vaccination reduced the risk by 72 per cent, they said. Researchers found that protection was even greater for employees who completed two doses. A week or more after receiving the second dose, vaccinated employees were 96 per cent less likely than unvaccinated workers to become infected with SARS-CoV-2, they said.

When researchers looked just at asymptomatic infections, vaccination reduced the risk by 90 per cent. During the study, 236 of the 5,217 employees included in the analysis tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. They included 185 unvaccinated employees and 51 of the 3,052 workers who had received at least one dose of the vaccine.

Almost half of the positive cases, 108, reported no symptoms upon testing, the researchers said. The asymptomatic cases included 20 employees who had received one vaccine dose and three who tested positive within seven days of the second dose, they said.

Also Read: Russia’s Single-Dose Sputnik Light Vaccine Has 79.4 Per Cent Efficacy, Effective Against All New Coronavirus Strains: Russian Direct Investment Fund

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (WaterSanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollutionwaste managementplastic banmanual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene

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