Findings from National Study St. Luke’s is Participating in: 2-Dose Vaccines are Highly Effective
St. Luke’s in Duluth is a part of a national COVID-19 study, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released the first findings from that study.
Monday’s CDC report shows that the two-dose mRNA vaccines are protective against both symptomatic and asymptomatic infections. The findings were generated through data collected from the RECOVER study. Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Harmony Tyner is leading study efforts at St. Luke’s, one of only 6 sites (8 locations) participating across the country.
“This is extremely important and will likely influence policy nationwide and worldwide because it answers some of the vital questions about COVID-19 infection and vaccination,” St. Luke’s Infectious Diseases Specialist Dr. Harmony Tyner explained. “It is a credit to our participants that their commitment has generated some of the highest quality data in this study. I’m so thankful for everyone who is participating in this study. They should be proud of the difference they are making.”
Previous studies showed that the vaccine was effective against symptomatic infection, but did not test for asymptomatic infections. Previous studies have also not tested whether vaccinated individuals can continue to spread infections without symptoms. The data generated demonstrates that by 14 days after the second dose of a 2-dose vaccine, the vaccines are 90% protective against symptomatic and asymptomatic infection. It also shows that a single dose of vaccine is 80% protective by 14 days after dosing.
Other findings are in the process of publication, and many questions remain, including how long the vaccine will remain effective after it is received, and how COVID will spread in our community over time. The RECOVER study is preparing to answer these questions and will continue to collect data over the coming year. The more participants, the more statistical power their conclusions will have.
If you are over age 18, have not yet been vaccinated and do work that requires you to leave your home, St. Luke’s would like to invite you to consider being a part of this important study. It’s important to note, that you are able to participate in the study and get vaccinated after you enroll in the study and then have your blood drawn once. It would involve swabbing your nose (about an inch deep) for COVID once weekly, and doing occasional blood tests to see if you have had COVID-19 in the past. If you are interested, email RECOVERstudy@slhduluth.com.