Discovery Health has released “unequivocal” evidence showing that those who have received a Pfizer vaccine have a 94% reduced risk of dying from Covid-19 complications two weeks after the second dose.
The company, who has had more than 60% of its adult members vaccinated against Covid-19, shared the results from the study on Monday.
The analysis drew on data from more than 1.2 million Discovery Health-administered medical scheme members.
CEO of Discovery Health, Dr Ryan Noach, said the company’s actuarial team collaborated with leading scientists and clinicians for the study.
“The evidence is unequivocal: vaccines work; are incredibly safe and reduce individual risk; and represent the most reliable route to fast-tracking our return to normality,” he said.
South Africa has administered close to 23 million vaccine doses to 15.4 million people, however, Noach says the demand for vaccinations has slowed.
“The country needs to move faster if we want to return to pre Covid-19 life. Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy is a key deterrent to vaccine uptake and is fuelled in large part by misinformation, which drives confusion and fear,” he said.
Scientists and researchers determined the Pfizer vaccine’s effectiveness by analysing 526 516 pathology test results, 14 673 Covid-19 admissions and 3 441 Covid‑19 deaths, all between May and September 2021.
Here are some of the other main findings from the Discovery Health study:
- The Pfizer vaccine reduces the risk of admission to hospital following a Covid-19 infection by 92%, 14 days or more after receiving the second dose.
- Reduces the risk of Covid-19 infection by 79%, 14 days or more after receiving the second dose.
- Reduces the risk of being admitted to hospital for another Covid-19 infection by 98%, for those who have recovered from a Covid-19 infection, and are vaccinated on top of this.