COVID-19: Chances of hospitalisation after vaccination at 0.06%, says study

An observational study conducted by Delhi's Indraprastha Apollo Hospital has found that over 97 per cent of fully vaccinated people were protected from COVID-19 infection and the chances of hospitalisation after vaccination were only 0.06 per cent.

The observational study was carried out on healthcare workers who reported to Indraprastha Apollo Hospital with symptomatic COVID-19 during the first 100 days of vaccination through Covishield vaccine. The objective of the study was to evaluate the frequency of 'breakthrough infections'.

The study's findings are currently under consideration for publication in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

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"Our study demonstrated that 97.38 per cent of those vaccinated were protected from an infection, and hospitalisation rate was only 0.06 per cent. The results of the study show that breakthrough infections occur only in a small percentage and these are primarily minor infections that do not lead to severe disease. There were no ICU admissions or death. Our study makes the case for vaccination stronger," Dr. Anupam Sibal, group medical director of Apollo Hospitals and a senior consultant for paediatric gastroenterology, told news agency ANI.

Breakthrough infections are infections which occur in a partially or fully-vaccinated person.

While the study indicates that COVID-19 vaccination does not provide 100 per cent immunity, it protects against serious manifestations, Sibal added.

A total of 3,235 healthcare workers participated in the study, of which 85 got infected during the study period. While 65 of those infected were fully vaccinated, 20 were partially vaccinated. Females were significantly more affected and the age did not influence the incidence of infection.

(With inputs from ANI)

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