One AstraZeneca vaccine dose gives 80% lower death risk, shows UK data

Data from the rollout of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine shows one dose of the shot results in 80 per cent less risk of death from the disease, Public Health England said on Monday.

It also said protection against death from the Pfizer-BioNTech (PFE.N), vaccine rises from approximately 80 per cent after one dose to 97 per cent after two doses in its new analysis.

PHE said the study was the first on protection against mortality from the AstraZeneca vaccine based on data from a real world setting.

The study looked at new symptomatic cases of Covid-19 between December and April and people who died within 28 days of their positive test by vaccination status.

People who had a single dose of AstraZeneca vaccine were 55 per cent protected against death, with a figure of 44 per cent protection for a single dose of Pfizer, compared to unvaccinated people.

"Combined with the protection vaccines offer against becoming a case in the first place, this is equivalent to approximately 80 per cent protection against mortality in individuals vaccinated with a single dose of either vaccine," PHE said in a statement.

Protection against mortality from the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine improved to 69 per cent for cases who had their second dose at least a week before they tested positive. Combined with the estimated protection from getting COVID-19 to start with, this is equivalent to an estimated 97 per cent protection, PHE said.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to confirm further easing of lockdown restrictions in England on Monday, helped in part by the speed of the country's vaccine rollout.

In another dataset, PHE said that it was estimated that two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine reduces the risk of hospitalisation by 93 per cent for the over 80s.
 

EU opens new front in legal fight with Astra
 
The EU launched a new lawsuit against AstraZeneca that could lead to financial sanctions for the company which the EU alleges has breached a supply contract for vaccines. The lawsuit is the EU's second against AstraZeneca after the bloc took action at the end of April over delayed vaccine supplies. AstraZeneca has said the EU's first legal action is without merit, saying that it complied with the contract. The company's lawyer said the new lawsuit was not needed given that there was already one underway.