Real world data released by South Korea has revealed that that one dose of COVID-19 vaccines from British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca Plc (LON:AZN) and US pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE) was 86.6% effective in preventing infections among people aged 60 and older, Reuters news agency reported on Wednesday.
The Pfizer vaccine, jointly developed by German biotechnology company BioNTech SE (Nasdaq:BNTX), was found to be 89.7% effective in preventing infection at least two weeks after a first dose was given, while the AstraZeneca shot was 86.0% effective.
This analysis is based on over 3.5 million people in South Korea aged 60 and older for two months from 26 February 2021 and included 521,133 people who received a first dose of either Pfizer or AstraZeneca shot.
According to South Korea's Korea Disease and Prevention Control Agency (KDCA), there were 1,237 COVID-19 cases in the data and only 29 were from the vaccinated group.
"It is shown that both vaccines provide a high protection against the disease after the first dose. (People) should get full vaccinations according to recommended schedule, as the protection rate will go up further after a second dose," the KDCA said.
Personalis validates NeXT Personal test for ultra-sensitive MRD detection
Moderna reports positive interim results from next-generation COVID-19 vaccine trial
Scancell initiates SCOPE trial's iSCIB1+ cohort
Valneva launches Phase 1 trial for next-generation Zika vaccine
Bio-Thera Solutions' BAT8006 phase II Study receives US FDA IND approval
Lipocine doses first cohort in LPCN 1154 study
Poseida Therapeutics names new chief medical officer
Biocytogen and ABL Bio collaborate on development of new bispecific antibody-drug conjugates