Pfizer and AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccines were both highly effective in preventing hospitalization due to the delta variant of the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a study published June 14 by Public Health England.
Two doses of Pfizer's vaccine were 96 percent effective in preventing hospitalization from the delta variant, and two doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine were 92 percent effective. The study included 14,019 people in England infected with the delta strain between April 12 and June 4.
"It is absolutely vital to get both doses as soon as they are offered to you, to gain maximum protection against all existing and emerging variants," Mary Ramsay, head of immunization at Public Health England, said in a news release.
The delta variant was first discovered in India and has spread to at least 74 countries, The Hill reported. It recently became the dominant strain in the U.K.
A separate study conducted in Scotland and published in Lancet Medical Journal June 14 found Pfizer's vaccine was 92 percent effective against the alpha variant and 79 percent effective against the delta variant. AstraZeneca's vaccine was 73 percent effective against the alpha variant and 60 percent effective against the delta variant.
The study looked at all cases of infection from the virus, not just hospitalizations. It included 19,543 people and was conducted April 1 to June 6.