Elsevier established a free COVID-19 resource centre in January 2020, offering information on the virus in English and Mandarin. The centre is hosted on Elsevier Connect, and Elsevier grants permission for free access to its research in PubMed Central and other repositories. A study on the Delta VOC in Scotland found it became dominant in May 2021, replacing the Alpha VOC. S gene-positive cases were more common, with 97% of sequenced cases being Delta. The EAVE II platform was used to track the virus, assess hospital admission risks, and evaluate vaccine effectiveness. The study found that S gene-positive cases were more common in younger, more affluent groups. The risk of hospital admission was higher for Delta VOC compared to Alpha VOC, especially in those with multiple comorbidities. Vaccine effectiveness was assessed using a test-negative design. At least 28 days after the first dose, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine showed strong protection against infection and hospitalization, with 92% effectiveness for S gene-negative and 79% for S gene-positive cases. The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine also showed substantial protection, though less effective than Pfizer-BioNTech for Delta VOC. The study found that the Delta VOC was more prevalent in younger, more affluent groups, and that vaccine effectiveness against Delta was lower than against Alpha. However, both vaccines were effective in reducing the risk of infection and hospitalization. The study highlights the importance of accurate data collection and transparency in public health responses, especially in countries like India, where data gaps have hindered effective pandemic management.Elsevier established a free COVID-19 resource centre in January 2020, offering information on the virus in English and Mandarin. The centre is hosted on Elsevier Connect, and Elsevier grants permission for free access to its research in PubMed Central and other repositories. A study on the Delta VOC in Scotland found it became dominant in May 2021, replacing the Alpha VOC. S gene-positive cases were more common, with 97% of sequenced cases being Delta. The EAVE II platform was used to track the virus, assess hospital admission risks, and evaluate vaccine effectiveness. The study found that S gene-positive cases were more common in younger, more affluent groups. The risk of hospital admission was higher for Delta VOC compared to Alpha VOC, especially in those with multiple comorbidities. Vaccine effectiveness was assessed using a test-negative design. At least 28 days after the first dose, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine showed strong protection against infection and hospitalization, with 92% effectiveness for S gene-negative and 79% for S gene-positive cases. The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine also showed substantial protection, though less effective than Pfizer-BioNTech for Delta VOC. The study found that the Delta VOC was more prevalent in younger, more affluent groups, and that vaccine effectiveness against Delta was lower than against Alpha. However, both vaccines were effective in reducing the risk of infection and hospitalization. The study highlights the importance of accurate data collection and transparency in public health responses, especially in countries like India, where data gaps have hindered effective pandemic management.