BusinessLive reports that according to data released by the Western Cape health department on Thursday, the coronavirus vaccines administered in the province are providing strong protection against severe illness and death from Covid-19 among healthcare workers and the elderly.

The risk of death from Covid-19 was 3.3 times higher among unvaccinated public-sector healthcare workers compared to vaccinated staff, according to the department’s analysis of its employees registered on the government personnel and salary system, Persal. The risk of death was 1 in 480 among unvaccinated healthcare workers compared to 1 in 1,490 among staff who were fully immunised. Analysis of Covid-19 cases among patients aged 60 years and older for the week of 14-20 August yielded similar results. Among the 2,455 coronavirus cases recorded in that age group in the week under review, 92% were unvaccinated; 699 of the 729 hospital admissions (96%) were not immunised; and 287 of the 292 deaths (98.3%) were among people who had not been inoculated. “This sends a very powerful message about the effectiveness of the vaccines,” said Western Cape health department COO Saadiq Kariem. The Western Cape has vaccinated 1.68-million adults so far, or 33.8% of the target population.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tamar Kahn at BusinessLive
• Lees ook, Wes-Kaapse data wys ‘entstof wérk’, by Maroela Media

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