Covid-19 vaccines bring hope for SA

Early indications from analysis carried out by Discovery Health show that vaccinations not only help in significantly reducing the “attack rate” of the coronavirus, but they also dramatically cut hospital admissions and deaths.

However, this only appears to happen at least two weeks after the administration of the first does of the Pfizer vaccine, according to Discovery Health chief executive Dr Ryan Noach.

In a presentation outlining Discovery’s analysis, Noach said 545 members contracted Covid within 14 days of vaccinations, at a rate similar to that of the unvaccinated population. Of these, 151 were admitted to hospital and nine died.

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However, just 144 contracted Covid more than 15 days after getting the jab and of those, just 19 were admitted to hospital – with no deaths resulting.

In the case of the group vaccinated more than 30 days previously, there were no infections, hospitalisations or deaths, Noach said the findings were “very positive”, although he added that it was “early days” and that the numbers – 90 000 vaccinated members – were still comparatively small.

He also warned people who had been vaccinated not to change their behaviour because they might still be carriers who could infect others.

His warning was echoed by Professor Alex van den Heever from the Wits University School of Governance. He said people still needed to be careful about how they behave because even if you were vaccinated you can become part of the wave of transmission.

“A person does not get full protection immediately after the admission of vaccines. The vaccine can take two to three weeks to reach its strongest immune effect,” Van Heever said.

He said people should be careful because only a few people have been vaccinated while many vulnerable people have not.

“Many people may still face infection even if they have been fully vaccinated. It is just a reduced probability,” Van Heever said.

Johannesburg resident Yvonne Smit, who got her first Pfizer jab on 3 June as part of the over 60s group at a state hospital in Vereeniging, will have to get her follow-up jab in July.

Smit said she is looking forward to getting the second jab because the first jab was a pleasant experience and went quickly. She said besides a sore arm the following day, there were no other side-effects.

marizkac@citizen.co.za