Large Israeli study finds Pfizer vaccine lowers infection rate

The Clalit Health Fund of Israel, the largest healthcare organization (HMO), has published the results of the first major research on the effects of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine. Clalit examined 200,000 people aged 60 and over who received the vaccine and needed a Covid-19 test, with 200,000 who were not vaccinated and also had to be tested, and the percentage of positive Covid-19 tests under each group examined.

Between the fifth and twelfth day after vaccination, there was still no difference in the number of positive tests between the two groups. But from 14 days after vaccination, there was a significant 33% decrease in the percentage of people who tested positive who had the vaccination compared to those who did not.

Considering that the vaccinated group still needs to take their second Pfizer vaccination to build up full immunity, the results Clalit found were in line with expectations. In his trial, Pfizer found the consequences of the first vaccination after 11 days. The similarity between Clalit’s research in Israel, and Pfizer’s results, reinforced the feeling that the lower percentage of people tested positive was the vaccine and not other variables.

Prof. Ran Balicer, director of the Clalit Research Institute, explained that although Pfizer’s research is based on people experiencing Covid-19 symptoms, Clalit’s research includes people from both groups who have been tested because they have symptoms, but also others who have someone came in contact with Covid-19 diagnosed.

Clalit’s research is also consistent with a smaller project carried out by prof. Gili Regev, director of the Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Unit at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer near Tel Aviv. She examined 200 people who received their first vaccination and found that only 1% developed enough antibodies after a week to provide immunity, but that the number rose to 50% after two weeks.

Prof. Balicer said: “We are waiting to cross the data we monitor over time to confirm these findings. But the results are consistent with the timeline and trend we have seen in the controlled study of the vaccine. Producers.”

Meanwhile, the virus has worsened in Israel. For the second day in a row, the Ministry of Health reported more than 9,000 new cases of Covid-19, although the number of serious cases stabilized at just over 1,000.

This is the main reason why Pfizer has provided so many millions of doses to Israel about the protection that the vaccine provides.

Published by Globes, Israel’s pocket news – en.globes.co.il – on January 13, 2021

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