A study carried out by Christian Medical College, Vellore in Tamil Nadu has revealed that two doses of the COVID-19 vaccines will provide more protection against the pandemic and hospitalization. The study has highlighted that the vaccination is preventing people from infection, hospitalization, need for oxygen, and ICU admission. 

According to reports, the study was posted on a preprint server and is yet to be reviewed. It has said that the protective effect of vaccination in preventing infection, hospitalization, need for oxygen, and ICU admission was 65%, 77%, 92%, and 94% respectively. However, the study didn't delve into the impact of infections caused by Beta and Delta, the new COVID-19 variants found in India.

According to the study, out of 7,080 staff who were fully vaccinated, 679 had contracted the infection, 64 were hospitalized, four were in need of oxygen therapy and two were in the requirement of ICU care.  Among the healthcare workers who took one vaccine shot, 200 had tested positive for the pandemic but no one needed oxygen or ICU care. 

The study has underlined that among the workers who took both shots, thirty-three healthcare workers contracted the infection within two weeks of taking the second vaccine shot but they didn't require ICU care or oxygen. The study said. "Our study corroborates these studies that vaccination is protective, although we did not look at the variants responsible for the massive second wave."

"Even as many states choose to restrict movement to reduce stress on the healthcare system, we realize that future waves can at best be prevented or at worst mitigated through aggressive and widespread vaccination", the study added. According to reports, the CMC's study was based on the infections reported among healthcare workers between February 21 and May 19, 2021. 

The study has also notified that the medical college hospital had vaccinated its 8,991 staff members, out of 10,600 employees, between January 21 and April 30, 2021. Around 93.4% of the healthcare professionals in CMC received Covishield and the rest of them took Covaxin. The study further said, "Beyond the immediate situation, implications for public health include cost-effective protection from infection, reduction of illness severity, and an intervention to break the chain of transmission effectively."