Oxford study reveals how COVID-19 vaccines reduce disease severity

A new study by researchers at the University of Oxford has shed light on how COVID-19 vaccines reduce the severity of illness, even when vaccinated people do get infected. The findings help explain why vaccinated individuals are far less likely to experience serious complications from the virus. Although COVID-19 vaccines have been a global success, questions remain about how the virus continues to spread and affect people after vaccination. To better understand what happens inside the body during infection, scientists from the Oxford Vaccine Group closely studied immune responses in both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. Using powerful data analysis tools and the latest technologies, the team discovered clear differences in how the body reacts to the virus depending on vaccination status. The results show that people who had received the vaccine had much milder immune responses, which helps explain why they tend to avoid the worst symptoms. Professor Daniel O’Connor, who led the...