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Israel’s largest healthcare provider said Sunday that a study of more than half a million full-fledged Israelis showed that the Pfizer / BioNTech injection provided 94 percent protection against COVID-19.
Clalit Health Services said, in a groundbreaking project, the researchers tested 600,000 subjects who received the two recommended doses of the US-German Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine and the same number of unconvicted people.
“There was a 94 percent reduction in the rate of symptomatic infection and a 92 percent reduction in the rate of serious illness compared to 600,000 similar (subjects) who did not receive the vaccine,” Clalit said in a statement in Hebrew.
“Vaccination effectiveness is maintained in all age groups, including those aged 70+,” he said.
Israel’s massive vaccination campaign has seen 3.8 million people receive the first dose, and 2.4 million have also received a second dose.
The country of nine million people, which is currently lowering restrictions imposed during the third nationwide lockout, aims to vaccinate everyone over 16 by the end of March .
“The publication of preliminary results at this stage is intended to reassure the non-vaccinated population that the vaccine is highly effective and prevents extreme morbidity,” Clalit said Sunday.
He said the study covered people who received a second sight at least seven days before the test, and would be extended in the future.
“With each additional week that passes, we will be able to make the assessment more accurate.”
Accuracy in how subjects are diagnosed would improve after 14 days or more from the second dose, he said.
Israel has so far relied solely on the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine, although it holds a small stock of the vaccine developed by US biotech company Moderna.
Israel received an adequate supply of vaccine from Pfizer after it struck a data sharing contract with the U.S. manufacturer.
The agreement mandates that the Jewish state, which has one of the most advanced medical data systems in the world, share real-time information with Pfizer about the impact of vaccination, including progress towards herd immunity.
Clalit is the largest of the four health service providers in Israel, which together provide health care to the entire population.
They are directly responsible for vaccines and the collection of data on their effects.
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Citation: Israeli study shows 94 percent effective Pfizer vaccine (2021, February 14) retrieved February 14, 2021 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-02-israeli-pfizer-vaccine-percent-effective .html
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