Israel does not yet see its infection and mortality rates drop after four weeks of the world’s fastest coronavirus vaccination program, but studies suggest that the stingray could eventually delay infection by up to 50 percent.
While more than 20 percent of Israel’s population received an initial dose, infection rates are at their highest ever, with more than 8,000 people testing positive each day and a record 1,102 people in hospital with Covid. 19.
But because scientists say the vaccine’s protection will usually take a week or two to begin, Israel expects new hospitalizations to begin soon.
Meanwhile, a top official at the Israeli Ministry of Health offers a ray of hope to the rest of the world by announcing the first findings that the vaccine can not only stop the symptoms but also reduce the risk of transmission.
Samples from the Pfizer / BioNTech sample showed that it was 95 percent effective in preventing people with Covid-19 from becoming infected. But the new data suggests that the vaccine may also prevent people from becoming infected at all.
Initial studies of data from Israel’s worldwide vaccine system suggest that the first dose can fight infections by up to 50 percent after 14 days, raising hopes that vaccination efforts will be even more dramatic.
While Israel has the fastest vaccination program in the world and distributes 1.9 million doses in less than four weeks, studies of hundreds of thousands of people provide perhaps the most comprehensive real-world data on the effectiveness of the vaccine.
Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of the health department for public health, announced the figure of 50 percent to Channel 12 News, although he warned that the results are preliminary and should be treated with caution.
Separately, two studies by healthcare providers Maccabi and Calit showed that infections dropped by 60 percent and 33 percent, respectively, after a first dose of vaccine.
The preliminary studies, which examined hundreds of thousands of patients, were both reported in the Israeli media, although the data behind them were not disclosed to the public, meaning no explanation is given for the difference in their figures.
Health Minister Yuli Edelstein has warned Israelis to remain cautious, even after a first dose of vaccine, amid concerns that they may still contract the disease.
On Tuesday, Israel saw daily Covid-19 infections and active cases reached all times. On Tuesday, Israel reported 9,997 new cases – the highest in 24 hours – and 46 deaths, after recording a record 67 deaths on Monday.
Israel is much better than other countries in its vaccine management, giving 23.66 doses per 100 people from 14 January. The second highest percentage was achieved by the UAE, with 14.1 per 100 people. In comparison, the United Kingdom administered 4.52 per 100 people
Initial studies of data from Israel’s vaccination campaign suggest that the first dose of Pfizer jab combats coronavirus infections by 14 percent after 14 days. In the photo: A woman is vaccinated against the COVID-19 coronavirus in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights
Dr Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of the Ministry of Health’s public health department, stressed on Channel 12 of Israel that the research was preliminary, and stressed the need for caution – even among those who received the first dose of jab.
Alroy-Preis noted that the data were not sufficient to conclude that the vaccine stops the transmission of Covid-19, as it is believed that a person can still spread the virus to others for a limited time if it is still in their nasal cavity.
She added that nearly a fifth of the more than 1,000 serious Covid-19 patients in the country had previously received the first vaccine.
“Seventeen percent of the new serious cases today, or 180 cases, are after the first dose,” she told reporters.
On Tuesday, Israel sees daily Covid-19 infections and active cases reaching all times, and despite the optimistic signs, the country’s health minister also stressed that extreme caution is still needed.
The vaccine is expected to give only 95 percent per week of immunity to Covid-19 after receiving the second dose of the vaccine. The launch of the second dose in Israel will begin this week, according to The Times of Israel.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Yuli Edelstein, the country’s health minister, warned that within two weeks of getting the jab, there was still a risk of catching the virus, saying Israelis should remain vigilant.
“Those who get the first shot still have to be very, very careful about their behavior because of the partial resistance to the disease,” Edelstein said.
Israel has taken the lead in the global vaccination battle by squeezing every last dose out of its vaccine supply and using its effective health care system to launch a 24/7 vaccination campaign with military aid. In the photo: center for mass vaccination in Tel Aviv
“In my imagination, it’s like the scene from the movie where you almost escape the danger and catch a bullet at the last minute.”
He added: “It shows what we already know, is that the full 95 percent protection comes after two shots.”
The two studies conducted by health maintenance organizations (HMOs) compiled the data of approximately 400,000 patients who treated them (800,000 in total), with the reason behind the difference (60 percent and 33 percent) currently unclear.
The Clalit study compared the test results of a group of 200,000 people who received the vaccine with a sample of 200,000 Israelis who did not get the sting.
The full results of the study have yet to be announced or peer-reviewed.
Israel’s vaccination program is by far the fastest in the world and has given the vaccine to more than two million people – about 20 percent of the population.
The program runs 24/7, even on Jewish Sabbath day, and is reinforced by hundreds of Israeli combatants who have been eliminated for service.
Since Pfizer’s Phase 3 trials tested only 40,000 people, the data from Israel’s vaccination campaign may provide some of the best indicators for the effectiveness of the coronavirus vaccines.
The Times of Israel reports that the latest figure given by officials was 1,910,330 – although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a ceremonial event on Tuesday to celebrate the 2 millionth vaccination.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit the coronavirus vaccination system in the northern Israeli city of Nazareth on January 13, 2021
Israel has reported a total of 520,060 confirmed cases of coronavirus since the onset of the pandemic, with 3,817 related deaths.
On Tuesday, Israel reported 9,997 new cases – the highest in 24 hours – and 46 deaths, after recording a record 67 deaths on Monday.
Like many countries, Israel is confronted in the winter before a second wave of the virus after infection rates and associated deaths dropped during November.
On January 5, the government announced a national full two-week exclusion, which will take effect from January 7. The closure will expire at the end of the month, but it will almost certainly be expanded as new cases and deaths will continue to increase.