The study assessed around 16,000 healthcare workers with Fortis network who had been administered both first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccine between January 2021 and May 2021. After receiving both the doses, only 6 percent staff got infected.
Fortis Healthcare | In the September quarter, Rakesh Junjhunwala held a 2.65 percent holding in the stock, and FIIs have increased its stake to 41.04 percent from 40.98 percent in the June quarter. In FY21 so far the stock price has risen 0 percent to Rs 125.70 as on October 26.
Fortis Healthcare, one of India’s largest private hospital chain on June 17 said that amongst those who turned COVID-19 positive post-vaccination, just 1 percent of fully vaccinated healthcare workers developed severe illness requiring ICU care or ventilator support.
Fortis conducted a real world evidence study to assess around 16,000 healthcare workers with Fortis network who had been administered both first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccine between January 2021 and May 2021.
After receiving both the doses, only 6 percent staff got infected. About 92 percent were mildly infected cases while 7 percent developed moderate illness requiring oxygen support and only 1 percent developed severe illness requiring ICU care ventilation.
Overall the evidence-based study of Fortis highlights that 92 percent of the fully vaccinated healthcare workers amongst those who acquired infection post-vaccination developed only mild COVID-19 infection, largely recovering under home care, despite a surge in serious infections during the second wave of the pandemic.
Fortis said the study was done to understand the role of vaccines and severity of COVID-19 infection post-vaccination.
Fortis study was done through the peak period of the second wave, wherein India was recording 3.5 to 4 lakhs cases each day and healthcare workers were working round-the-clock, attending to infected patients.
“The study clearly brings out important findings that the vaccines available in India for COVID-19 do provide protection against the virus even in healthcare workers who are at most risk and vulnerable to get infected by the virus,” said Dr Bishnu Panigrahi, Group Head – Medical Strategy & Operations at Fortis Healthcare.
“While India has sound vaccine manufacturing capacity at its disposal, what is really needed is a comprehensive and multi-pronged mass education strategy to achieve last mile delivery,” Panigrahi said.
Viswanath Pilla is a business journalist with 14 years of reporting experience. Based in Mumbai, Pilla covers pharma, healthcare and infrastructure sectors for Moneycontrol.
