vaccine efficacy
Vaccine efficacy measures how well a vaccine works in preventing disease under ideal conditions, usually expressed as a percentage. For example, if a vaccine has 90% efficacy, that means it reduces the risk of getting the disease by 90% compared to those who are not vaccinated. It indicates the vaccine’s effectiveness in clinical trials, rather than real-world settings where factors like population health and behavior can affect outcomes. Higher efficacy means better protection, but even vaccines with lower efficacy can significantly reduce severe illness and hospitalizations.
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Vaccine efficacy refers to how well a vaccine works in preventing disease under controlled conditions, typically expressed as a percentage. For example, a vaccine with 95% efficacy reduces the risk of contracting the disease by 95% compared to unvaccinated individuals. It’s important to note that efficacy is determined in clinical trials and may differ from effectiveness, which measures how well the vaccine performs in the real world. High efficacy indicates strong protection, but no vaccine guarantees complete immunity; some vaccinated individuals can still get the disease, albeit usually with milder symptoms.