The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the results of a real-world study which shows that the COVID-19 vaccines created by Pfizer and Moderna were highly effective at reducing coronavirus infections.
Researchers tested nearly 4,000 essential workers, including health care personnel and first responders, every week from December 14 to March 13, 2021. The workers were from six states: Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, Oregon, Texas, and Utah.
The study found the vaccines were 90% effective at preventing infections after two weeks in fully vaccinated individuals. The vaccines were 80% effective at preventing infections for people who received only the first dose. A majority of the participants received both shots during the trial, while 12.1% received just one shot during the study period.
The results, which are the first using real-world data in the United States, were on par with another study conducted in Israel, which found the vaccines were 97% effective.
As of March 29, over 145 million doses have been administered in the U.S., and more than 52 million people are considered fully vaccinated. According to the CDC, 74 million people have received Pfizer's vaccine, while 68 million were given the Moderna vaccine. Just over three million doses of the Johnson & Johnson single-shot vaccine have been administered.
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