The corona vaccines also protect against the delta variant of the coronavirus. But: The effectiveness should be just under 90 percent – what does that mean?
The delta variant of the corona virus is rampant in Germany. Although the 7-day incidence is falling in almost all federal states, the proportion of people infected with corona with the delta variant is increasing. In the third week of April, the Robert Koch Institute from Berlin reported that six cases of the Delta mutant were known in Germany. Two weeks later it was 49. In mid-May, the number of reports from echo24.de * increased to a shocking 94 new Delta infections.
In the last week of June, the Robert Koch Institute already counted 1,400 new cases – and the trend is rising. This makes the question of how well the approved corona vaccines work against the delta variant of the coronavirus all the more important. So much in advance: All vaccines work against the delta mutation – but to different degrees. An analysis by ntv shows that fully vaccinated people have 80 percent protection against symptomatic illness.
Corona vaccination and Delta variant: this is how effective the approved vaccines are
The broadcaster relies on a preliminary study by the British health authority PHE. If only one dose is administered, according to the preliminary study, the protective effect is only around 30 to 40 percent. How reliable the percentages are is questionable. Background: According to reports from ntv , Chicago health boss Allison Arwady recently said that the corona vaccine from Biontech / Pfizer was 84 percent effective against the Delta variant.
Definition: The percentage of effectiveness
If a vaccine like the one from Biontech is 95 percent effective, this means that for those who have been fully vaccinated, the risk of contracting disease symptoms is reduced by 95 percent compared to those who have not been vaccinated. However, it does NOT mean that only 90 percent of those vaccinated are actually protected. All vaccinated people have a high level of protection. The percentage really only refers to the comparison calculation with unvaccinated people.
According to a Scottish study from June 14th, Biontech / Pfizer’s corona vaccine is only 79 percent effective. The manufacturer itself currently assumes that its vaccine protects about 90 percent against corona disease with the Delta variant. In other words: Here the opinions of the experts differ. The fact is, however, that all vaccines have a high protective effect with regard to the delta variant of the coronavirus and can prevent serious disease courses.
Corona vaccination and Delta variant: AstraZeneca very effective? New study
It is also clear that the mRNA vaccines generally have higher efficacy rates and consequently also protect somewhat better against the mutations of the coronavirus. According to a long-term study by London University College, Moderna’s mRNA vaccine reduces corona antibodies in the blood by 5.6 times. In its analysis, ntv assumes that the corona vaccine from Moderna is at least as effective against the Delta variant as the vaccine from Biontech / Pfizer.
Corona vaccination and delta variant: mRNA or vector vaccine?
According to ntv , the preliminary study by the PHE states that the AstraZeneca vaccine also protects 92 percent of serious illnesses with hospitalization after the second dose, even with the Delta variant. Attention, the percentages here refer to serious illnesses with hospitalization. The above percentages for Biontech / Pfizer relate to the protective effect against corona disease – a difference that, however, addresses an important topic.
| Manufacturer | Effectiveness (%) |
| Biontech / Pfizer | up to 95 |
| Moderna | up to 95 |
| AstraZeneca | up to 80 |
| Johnson & Johnson | up to 70 |
Basically, the aim of vaccinations is to avoid serious illnesses and deaths. And the vector vaccines from AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson do that reliably. The fact is that AstraZeneca is a little tricky with the statement in order to divert attention from the percentage of effectiveness, which is a little higher with mRNA vaccines. The analysis by ntv comes to the conclusion that it is difficult to compare the corona vaccines on the basis of percentages.
Corona vaccination and Delta variant: the recommendation from experts is clear
The broadcaster justifies this with the fact that many people do not know exactly what the stated effectiveness of the vaccines means when they are approved – see info box. Regardless of the percentage, experts generally recommend a corona vaccination to prevent serious illnesses and deaths. The hna.de portal summarizes how dangerous the delta variant * is in a further analysis. * echo24.de and hna.de are offered by IPPEN.MEDIA.
List of rubric lists: © Daniel Karmann / dpa
