The number of people catching coronavirus after having at least one dose of the vaccine has risen by almost half in the space of a week, according to a Covid symptom-tracking study.
Figures compiled by the ZOE COVID Study show that there are currently 15,537 new daily cases among vaccinated people – a 40% rise from 11,084 last week.
This does not mean the vaccines do not work. Although less effective at preventing infection, they vastly reduce the risk of severe illness and death – particularly after you have received both doses.
Infections are rising fastest among younger people, many of whom have only had their first jab, but the ZOE app still categorises them as ‘vaccinated’ despite not yet being fully protected.
Recent analysis by Public Health England suggests that one dose of either the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine reduces the risk of symptomatic disease with the Delta variant of coronavirus by approximately 35% and hospital cases by 80%.
A second dose boosts protection to approximately 79% against symptomatic disease and 96% against having to go to hospital.
Tim Spector OBE, lead scientist on the ZOE COVID Study app and Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London, said: ‘In the UK, new cases in vaccinated people are still going up and will soon outpace unvaccinated cases.
‘This is probably because we’re running out of unvaccinated susceptible people to infect as more and more people get the vaccine.
‘Whilst the figures look worrying, it’s important to highlight that vaccines have massively reduced severe infections and post-vaccination Covid is a much milder disease for most people.
‘The main concern is now the risk of Long Covid.’
The latest government figures show that 46 million people, 87.5% of adults, have had their first jab, while 35.3 million, 67.1%, had received both.
There were another 48,553 new cases reported today – the highest number in six months. Another 63 deaths were reported within 28 days of a positive test – the highest number since March 26.
Boris Johnson has already acknowledged daily cases could hit 50,000 by ‘freedom day’ on Monday and Health Secretary Sajid Javid said they could top 100,000 over the summer.
But the Prime Minister said the success of the vaccination programme meant they could go ahead with the final reopening of the economy.
During a speech in Coventry he said it was ‘highly probable’ that the worst of the pandemic is behind us, but urged people not to ‘throw caution to the winds’ when restrictions are eased.
He added that there would be more hospital admissions and deaths from Covid-19 to come during ‘difficult days and weeks ahead’.
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