Two Pfizer doses just 70% effective against severe illness, says new study

A new study from South Africa demonstrates that two doses of the Pfizer Covid vaccine provides 70 per cent protection against hospitalisation, including for those who contract the omicron variant.

The omicron variant that has been spreading globally over the past few weeks is thought to be milder than the previously dominant delta strain, but with a faster transmission rate.

The study drew data from over 211,000 positive Covid test results during the three weeks leading to December 7, including 78,000 people thought to have contracted the omicron variant.

41 per cent of those testing positive had been jabbed with two Pfizer-BioNTech doses.

The study shows that the effectiveness of two Pfizer shots at preventing severe illness, which is used to describe those who enter hospital, has plummeted to 70 per cent, far below the 93 per cent protection offered during the delta wave. 

However this figure still surpasses the initial 50 per cent benchmark set by the World Health Organization.

This new data, if accurate, further bolsters the government’s argument that the third dose uptake will define the NHS’ ability to tackle the pandemic going forward.

Pfizer have also been trialling an anti-viral drug which its latest tests claim could reduce risk of hospitalisation from Covid by 89%.