Vaccinated people 16 times less likely to die from Covid-19, says study

Fully vaccinated people are 16 times less likely to end up in intensive care or die from Covid-19 than those who aren’t immunised, an Australian government study shows.

Nearly 16 out of 1,00,000 people, who were yet to receive a Covid vaccine landed in intensive care or died after contracting the virus. In comparison, fewer than one in every 1,00,000, who were fully vaccinated, needed intensive care, according to data compiled by health authorities in New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state. 

The study adds to the evidence that the vaccine's protection against severe disease and death holds up even as protective antibodies weaken over time allowing more infections.

Data collected in Texas showed unvaccinated people were 20 times more likely to die from the virus than those who were fully protected.

Mass inoculation eases the strain Covid imposes on local health care systems, preventing overcrowded hospitals and rising demand for intensive care and ventilation.

Data gathered from New South Wales also showed vaccination reduced the risk of infection more than 10-fold compared to those who were unvaccinated in the two weeks through September 7. Shots appeared more effective in walling off the virus among teenagers compared to older people. 

Australia has rolled out highly potent mRNA vaccines co-developed by Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE, a similar one from Moderna Inc, and a viral vector shot from the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca Plc.