There is an indication of 94% drop in symptomatic COVID-19 infections among 600,000 people who received two doses of Pfizer’s vaccine in Israel’s biggest study to date.
According to the Reuter news report, “Health maintenance organization (HMO) Clalit, which covers more than half of all Israelis, said the same group was also 92% less likely to develop severe illness from the virus.”
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What they are saying
In the words of Ran Balicer, Clalit’s chief innovation officer,
- “It shows unequivocally that Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine is extremely effective in the real world a week after the second dose, just as it was found to be in the clinical study.
- “The data indicates the Pfizer vaccine, which was developed in partnership with Germany’s BioNTech, is even more effective two weeks or more after the second shot.”
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According to Reuters, “Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science, who have been tabulating national data, said on Sunday that a sharp decline in hospitalization and serious illness identified earlier among the first age group to be vaccinated – aged 60 or older – was seen for the first time in those aged 55 and older.”
What you should know
- It is important to note that hospitalizations and serious illness were still rising in younger groups who began vaccinations weeks later.
- Israel has been conducting a rapid vaccine rollout and its database offers insights into vaccine effectiveness and at what point countries might attain herd immunity.
- To date, Israel has total reported cases of 724,000, 664,000 recoveries and 5,388 deaths.
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