Did COVID-19 vaccines keep protecting veterans from hospitalization?

During the summer of 2021, the Delta variant was causing a surge in COVID-19 cases. Many people wondered if the vaccines were still holding up. A study looking at veterans at five VA medical centers found that the mRNA vaccines—like those from Pfizer and Moderna—continued to show high effectiveness at preventing COVID-19 hospitalizations during that time. The research tracked veterans from February through August 2021, a period when Delta became the dominant strain. It's important to note this was an observational study, meaning it looked at real-world data rather than a controlled experiment. The researchers didn't report specific numbers on exactly how much protection the vaccines provided, or how many people were involved. But the core finding—that effectiveness remained high—is a meaningful piece of evidence, especially for a population like veterans who may have other health conditions. The study didn't report on safety issues or side effects during this period.