Covid Vaccines "Reduce Chance Of Hospitalisation, Mortality", Says Study

The ICMR-funded study indicated that 9.8 per cent, or 67 individuals, required hospitalisation, and only 0.4 per cent, or three cases, resulted in fatalities

Covid vaccines currently in use in India reduce chance of hospitalisation or mortality in case of breakthrough infections (or infections that occur after at least one dose of the vaccine), according to the results of an ICMR-funded study of 677 samples recorded during the second wave. The study (which is in pre-print status, or pending peer review), comes amid some concern that existing COVID-19 vaccines may be less effective against newer (more aggressive) variants of the virus - such as the 'delta' and 'delta plus' that have been reported from across the country. The study found that 677 RT-PCR samples collected from 17 states/UTs tested positive for COVID-19 after receiving at least one dose of a Covid vaccine - either Covishield or Covaxin. Specifically, 592 were infected after receiving both doses and 85 after getting one dose. The authors conducted telephonic interviews to establish 9.8 per cent, or 67 individuals, required hospitalisation, and only 0.4 per cent, or three cases, resulted in fatalities.