New update of the ‘Faq’ on Covid-19 cases registered among the vaccinated, prepared by the Higher Institute of Health (Iss). “If anti-Covid vaccinations in the population reach high levels of coverage, the paradoxical effect occurs whereby the absolute number of infections, hospitalizations and deaths can be similar between vaccinated and unvaccinated – it reads – In these cases, however, the incidence (understood as the ratio between the number of cases and the population) is about 10 times lower in vaccinated than in unvaccinated. These numbers, if read correctly, therefore, confirm how effective vaccination is “.
THE PARADOX EFFECT – The Covid-19 numbers in the vaccinated population are ‘distorted’ by an “expected and well-known paradox, which must be recognized in order to avoid concerns and loss of confidence in vaccination” explains the Higher Institute of Health.
“The vaccination against Covid-19, as happens with all vaccinations, does not protect 100% of vaccinated individuals”, the ISS premieres. “Currently – he remembers – we know that vaccination, if the complete vaccination cycle is carried out, protects 88% from infection, 94% from hospitalization, 97% from hospitalization in intensive care and 96% from an outcome fatal disease. It is therefore possible and expected a limited number of cases of infection, hospital admissions, intensive care admissions and deaths even among the vaccinated, in extremely lower numbers if compared to those occurring among subjects not vaccinated “.
“With the increase in vaccination coverage – continues the ISS – the number of cases decreases precisely due to the effectiveness of vaccination: this means that the few cases among the vaccinated can appear proportionately numerous; in population groups with very high vaccination coverage , most of the reported cases could thus occur in vaccinated subjects, only because the number of the vaccinated population is much higher than that of unvaccinated subjects “. This is precisely the “paradox” on which the Higher Institute of Health is keen to shed light. “Furthermore, the surveillance systems – explains the ISS – do not make evident the cases of disease avoided by vaccination, but only reveal those who fall ill despite vaccination”.
RISK OF VARIATIONS – “The” anti-Covid vaccine, “when administered with the entire cycle – is also written in the updated ‘Faq’ – is effective in protecting the population. However, it should be remembered that, the more the virus circulates – for example for a non-optimal vaccination coverage in all age groups and / or due to non-compliance with restrictions – the greater the risk that the virus is transmitted to subjects at risk of severe disease even if vaccinated “and that it favors” the phenomenon of the appearance of new variants “.