The most effective vaccine against the Delta variant

Currently, 31.4% of the world's population has received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, and 23.6% is fully vaccinated. A total of 35.64 million doses are administered each day. However, only 1.3% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose.

No vaccine is 100% effective, but current ones have been shown to prevent severe illness and hospitalization.

Researchers in the US found that the Pfizer vaccine was only 42% effective against the Delta strain. Meanwhile, the Moderna vaccine outperformed it with 76% effectiveness againstDelta variant.

Mayo Clinic researchers assessed: "Clinical trials and real-world surveys have confirmed the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine. However, the record of casesCovid-19in vaccinated people and the persistent emergence of new variants underscore the need to monitor the effectiveness of these vaccines."

Experts collected data from 25,000 Minnesota residents (USA) from January to July 2021.

The vaccine was highly effective in the first six months, providing about 90% protection against SARS-CoV-2. But its effectiveness began to wane in June, and dropped further in July as the Delta strain became more prevalent in the United States.

Vaccines are key to preventing Covid-19 patients from becoming seriously ill.

In May, only 0.7% of Minnesota cases were linked to the Delta variant. By June, that number had risen to 70%.

Experts stress that despite the increase in cases in vaccinated people, the vaccine still prevents severe cases requiring hospitalization.

A study conducted in Israel also found that the Pfizer vaccine was less effective against the Delta variant than the original strain and other variants, with its effectiveness in preventing symptomatic Delta infections dropping to 64%.

But the vaccine was still 93% effective in preventing severe illness or hospitalization.

Meanwhile, the study found that after one dose, the Pfizer vaccine was 36% effective against symptomatic disease from the Delta variant, compared to 30% for the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The Israeli Ministry of Health released the statistics following a surge in Covid-19 infections. More than 62% of the country's population has now received two doses of the vaccine.

A Pfizer spokesperson declined to comment on the Israeli data, but cited other research showing that antibodies generated by the vaccine can still neutralize many variants, including Delta, albeit at reduced levels.