Fauci: Israeli COVID-19 study misleading about vaccine efficacy

Fauci: Israeli COVID-19 study misleading about vaccine efficacy

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Anthony Fauci, the leading American expert on infectious diseases, said on Monday that an Israeli study on the effectiveness of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine against the South African variant was misleading, reports Reuters. He added that he would be wary of concluding on the efficacy of the vaccine against the variant.
The effectiveness of the Coronavirus vaccine is often described in terms of the ability of the vaccine to prevent people from contracting the virus. An important factor in evaluating how effective a vaccine is, however, is the ability to prevent serious illness, hospitalization, and death.

An actual study conducted by Clalit Health Services and the University of Tel Aviv in Israel and released on Saturday showed that the South African variant is likely to break through the protective effect of the vaccine, even after two doses have been administered and passed more than a week.

However, the study referred to the ability of the vaccine to prevent infection, not due to severe symptoms.

In an interview with FOX Television Stations also on Monday, Fauci explained that the vaccines Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson still look effective in preventing serious illness and death.

“So what can happen is that when you get these new variants, some may not be protected when you talk about mild to moderate illnesses, but at the same time people are not going to get seriously ill and come to a standstill,” Fauci told Fox said.

Israel has vaccinated more than 5.3 million people with the Pfizer vaccine, most with both doses.

Last week, however, the company halted shipments of coronavirus vaccines to Israel in outrage across the country, without paying the last 2.5 million doses it provided to the country.

A cabinet meeting that would authorize the new contract has been canceled amid infighting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz. Gantz canceled the meeting after Netanyahu refused to approve the permanent appointment of a justice minister. The meeting has yet to be scheduled.

Health Minister Yuli Edelstein on Monday sharply criticized Gantz.

“Ganz is committing a crime against the health of Israeli citizens. “Minister Ganz is jeopardizing Israel’s ability to receive vaccines in reception that are essential for the continued functioning of the economy,” Edelstein said.

‘His astonishing refusal to buy the vaccines continued even after Gantz and his people received all the explanations for their questions from health ministry professionals. It turns out to be a cynical game and a waste of precious time for the citizens of Israel. He did not intend to allow the vaccines to be purchased, and all the others were an excuse. The serious health consequences and the economic consequences of not purchasing vaccines will rest on him. ”

“Ministers of Likud and, in the first place, Edelstein have become accomplices in the crime of a criminal trying to escape his trial,” Blue and White responded in a statement. “If Edelstein really cared about the citizens of Israel, he would have fought for the appointment of a Minister of Justice and also for the approval of a budget for additional vaccines.”

In an information session to the press last week, Chezy Levy, director general of the Ministry of Health, said that Israel has enough doses to vaccinate about one million adults who still need to be vaccinated, but also not enough to vaccinate children.

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