This paper is focused on the vaccine effectiveness over time following completion of a course of the ChAdOx01 vaccine and estimates change in protection against more severe outcomes relative to protection offered within the first 2-3 weeks of completion of the course.  It is not surprising, given previously observed reduction in protection against symptomatic, non severe disease as time from completion of the primary course progresses, that protection against more severe disease also diminishes as the period since completion of the course gets longer.  The paper focuses on relative rates of these serious outcomes which give a rather alarming impression at first glance – it takes some effort to understand that there is in fact sustained vaccine effectiveness in preventing hospitalisation and death from COVID of at least 50% across the period of follow up.  In addition, it appears that the absolute incidence of these outcomes is also, thankfully, low.  Nonetheless the data reiterate, as we already know, that a booster vaccination shot is required to confer higher levels of sustained protection and indeed everyone should ensure they get out and get boosted as fast as possible to retain protection against covid illness of any severity, particularly given the spread of the omicron variant and the desire to mix with family and friends over the festive period.