TWO DOSES of either the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine have found to be more than 80& effective against the Indian variant of Covid-19.
That’s according to date published by Public Health England, which showed the two jabs had an efficiency of 81% against the B1.617.2 variant.
It’s a finding that should help ease concerns over the potential return of restrictions in both the UK and Ireland in the event of another spike in cases.
The figures published also revealed two doses of either jab provided 87% protection against the Kent variant, which has emerged as the dominant strain in Ireland.
Meanwhile, 72 cases of the Indian variant have been identified in the Republic with Dr Cillian de Gascun, Irish Consultant Virologist and Director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory urging the public to exercise caution.
“Given the size of our unvaccinated population and the apparent transmissibility of this variant, we would encourage people to remain vigilant and to continue to adhere to the public health guidance as the vaccine programme rolls out,” he said.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan also remains cautious about the impact of the variant on Ireland’s unvaccinated.
“In broad terms… the sky is for the most part blue, but there is a black cloud on the horizon”
.@CMOIreland says while the situation at the moment is stable, there is “genuine” concern around the Covid-19 variant first identified in India | More: https://t.co/t9FtwuKk9F pic.twitter.com/orgykew6CJ— RTÉ News (@rtenews) May 21, 2021
“For the most part, the sky is mostly blue but with a black cloud on the horizon which is the Indian variant,” he warned.
Dr Holohan said: "We are concerned genuinely about the reports we have received and the credibility we attach to them around the increased transmissibility associated with that particular variant."
It is believed that the variant could be as much as 50% more transmissible than the B117 "Kent" variant.
Ireland currently has 111 COVID-19 patients in hospitals across the country with 39 of these cases currently in intensive care.
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