THE Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines both give a high level of protection against the Indian variant after two doses, a new study shows.
Some 22 million Brits have had both jabs and the study reveals both are effective against symptoms such as a continuous cough, a loss or change to sense of smell and taste or a high temperature.
Pfizer was 88 per cent effective while AstraZeneca proved 60 per cent effective.
The vaccines are also likely to be much more effective when it comes to stopping hospitalisations and deaths.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock hailed the “groundbreaking” development and added: “We can now be confident that over 20 million people have significant protection against this variant.”
Dr Mary Ramsay, PHE Head of Immunisation, said: “It’s vital to get both doses to gain maximum protection against all variants.”
The PHE research, from April 5 to May 16, involved 1,054 people with the Indian variant.
It also found Pfizer 93 per cent effective and AstraZeneca 66 per cent against the Kent variant.
Meanwhile, the Army was yesterday busy posting leaflets through letterboxes in Bolton, where the Indian variant is rife, about surge testing.
