According to the preliminary data from the Sisonke study, Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine is 71 percent effective at preventing hospitalizations and 96 percent effective at preventing death from the Delta variant.
The study, called the Sisonke, involved over 477,000 health care workers who received the single-shot COVID-19 vaccine between February and May of this year. Workers were exposed to both the Beta and Delta variants of COVID-19 as they spread throughout the country.
According to Glenda Gray, the president of the South African Medical Research Council and co-leader of the trial, the Johnson & Johnson shot provided protection against both variants, but there was slightly “greater efficacy against Delta than against Beta,” compared to unvaccinated populations.
“Consistently after receiving the vaccine, there was very little death occurring in the vaccinated group as compared to the control group and showing a remarkable up-to 96.2% protection against death. This was our primary endpoint and we are able to say this vaccine protected health workers against death,”Gray said.
“.
