COVID-19 vaccines prevent deaths, finds study

Two doses of vaccines are 95% effective, it reveals

A single dose of COVID-19 vaccine was 82% effective in preventing deaths while two doses were 95% effective, an analysis of data on Tamil Nadu police personnel has indicated. Data on vaccination of police personnel and COVID-19 deaths during the second wave was used to estimate the incidence of deaths among vaccinated and unvaccinated police personnel in the study ‘COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness in preventing deaths among high-risk groups in T.N’. It was taken up by the police department, the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Epidemiology (ICMR-NIE) and Christian Medical College, Vellore. The police department has been documenting vaccination of its workforce and COVID-19 deaths during the second wave along with details of the date of hospitalisation and vaccination. There were 1,17,524 personnel working with the police department in the State. Between February 1 and May 14, 32,792 people received one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 67,673 received both doses, while 17,059 were unvaccinated, according to the study that was published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research.