Researchers in the U.K. came up with a new study which reveals that one dose of Pfizer’s vaccine can significantly reduce the infection of asymptomatic patients, according to The Hill.
This could be very helpful in the efforts for reducing the risk of spreading the infection, as well as protect people from becoming ill from the coronavirus.
The researchers form Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) and the University of Cambridge made analysis of the results of thousands PCR tests conducted as part of hospitals staff screening process, and no signs of infection were detected.
The research targeted vaccinated and unvaccinated staff over a two weeks period in January, which were tested for COVID-19 in similar number groups. Then, the researchers made comparison of the infection rates of unvaccinated staff and staff that had been vaccinated 12 days before the test – time needed for the body to produce immune cells.
The results showed that 0.8 percent of the unvaccinated staff were positive, health workers vaccinated less than 12 days before the test were 0.37 percent positive and those who were vaccinated 12 or more days before the test were only 0.2 percent positive. But the study is yet to be reviewed.
Given the numbers presented, the study results showed four times drop of the risk of asymptomatic coronavirus infection among health care workers who were vaccinated for 12 or more days, and a protection increase of 75 percent.
“This is great news – the Pfizer vaccine not only provides protection against becoming ill from SARS-CoV-2 but also helps prevent infection, reducing the potential for the virus to be passed to others,” said in a statement Mike Weekes, an infectious disease specialist at CUH and the University of Cambridge’s Department of Medicine who is leading the study.
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