UK has focused on giving a first dose to as many as possible.
Two doses of AstraZeneca Plc's Covid-19 vaccine provide about 85% to 90% protection against symptomatic disease, according to statistics released by Public Health England on Thursday.
The health body estimated that 13,000 deaths have been prevented in England as of May 9 in people ages 60 and older. It also suggested that vaccinations have stopped almost 40,000 hospitalizations among the over 65s, a crucial metric in a country where the National Health Service has struggled to contain Europe's highest death toll from the pandemic.
"This new data shows the vaccine saves lives and protects you from ending up in hospital with Covid-19," Health Secretary Matt Hancock said in a statement. "With the threat of new variants, it's never been more important to get the vaccine."
The U.K., which has fully vaccinated almost a third of its population, has focused on giving a first dose to as many people as possible, extending the interval between doses to as long as 12 weeks.
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