London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 02, 2025

UK doctors urge public to get fully vaccinated as Delta variant spreads

UK doctors urge public to get fully vaccinated as Delta variant spreads

Study finds Delta has nearly double risk of hospitalisation compared with previously dominant Alpha
Doctors have urged the public to get two shots of coronavirus vaccine after research in Scotland showed that the Delta variant, which has spread across the UK, nearly doubles the risk of hospitalisation.

Public health experts analysed data on Covid tests, hospitalisations and vaccination status for 5.4 million people in Scotland and found that those infected with the Delta variant, first identified in India, were 85% more likely to be admitted to hospital than those infected with the Alpha variant, first detected in Kent.

Based on data gathered by Public Health Scotland from 1 April to 6 June, the study provides further evidence that the two main vaccines rolled out in the UK – Oxford/AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech – are less effective against the Delta than the previously dominant Alpha variant.

During the period studied there were 19,543 community cases and 377 admissions to hospital where a specific variant of Covid-19 was confirmed. Of these, 7,723 cases and 134 hospital admissions were found to have the Delta variant, which is thought to be 60% more transmissible than the Alpha variant.

Details published in The Lancet show that protection against infection fell from 92% for the Alpha variant to 79% against the Delta variant at least two weeks after the second shot of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine suffered a similar-sized loss of protection from 73% to 60%, again measured at least two weeks after the second shot.

Dr Jim McMenamin, the national Covid-19 incident director at Public Health Scotland, said the findings showed two doses of vaccine were still “highly effective” against the Delta variant and urged people to get both shots when invited. “We’ve got an opportunity to counter the threat of this by encouraging uptake of both doses of the vaccine,” he said.

The researchers do not have enough data to say what the impact of the Delta variant is on death rates, but early indications suggest that, with the elderly population better protected with vaccines, the majority of those in hospital are now younger than in previous waves and have shorter stays. As with other variants, people with underlying conditions were more at risk of being admitted to hospital.

The work highlights how long it takes the immune system to mount a substantial immune response to the vaccine. Strong protective effects were not seen until at least 28 days after the first shots, when the risk of hospitalisation fell by about 70%. There were too few hospitalisations to compare the effects of the different vaccines.

Aziz Sheikh, a senior author on the study and professor of primary care research and development at the University of Edinburgh, said that given the importance of second doses he favoured a delay in lifting the last remaining Covid restrictions, originally earmarked for 21 June in the government roadmap for England.

“If there is a delay, I think that will give us the opportunity to widen coverage, which is incredibly important for those who at the moment have only got one dose. It will give the opportunity to increase the proportion of the population with two doses, and then what we want is a period of time where people can actually maximise their immune responses,” he said.

“I think any sort of increase in the window of opportunity before lockdown measures are completely brought to an end will be helpful, because that will help us to control community transmission. So, overall, I’d be very supportive of any delays that might be announced.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
×