Israeli research shows that the coronavirus vaccine made by Pfizer not only protects those who are vaccinated against COVID-19, but also prevents immune humans from spreading the disease to others.
The question of whether the vaccine would help prevent those who received it from still being carriers was a major issue as vaccinations were rolled out around the world.
A woman is vaccinated against coronavirus at a vaccination center in Jerusalem
(Photo: AFP)
Clinical research conducted by Israel’s largest health fund, Clalit, has shown a significant decrease in infections among 200,000 people aged 60 and over two weeks after the first vaccinations were given. Not all of the 200,000 people involved in the research received the vaccine.
Prof. Ran Balicer, head of innovation at Clalit, says that during days 5 to 12 there is no visible effect on the overall infection rates after the first dose of the two-stage vaccination has been administered.
According to the data, there was a slight decrease in diseases on day 13, but by day 14 there was a 33% decrease in the spread of the disease between those who were vaccinated and those who were not.
The Pfizer vaccine
(Photo: AFP)
Israel began vaccinating its population using the Pfizer vaccine on December 20, 2020. So far, the country has given the first of the two shots to nearly 2 million people and has already begun administering the second dose.
This is the first evidence that the Pfizer vaccine not only prevents someone from contracting COVID-19 after exposure to the coronavirus, but also prevents the exposed person from transmitting the virus to others.
It is still unclear whether the first dose of vaccine reduces the disease condition further than 33%, or what the percentage is after the second dose, but Israeli health experts believe that the data show a significant decrease in the spread of the virus.
Prof. Ran Balicer, Head of Innovation at HMO Clalit
(Photo: Orel Cohen)
Prof. Balicer said that although the results are only preliminary, they are “very encouraging.”
“It is important to keep in mind that these results do not show that there is complete protection against the disease,” he said.
‘Therefore, those who have been vaccinated must still be careful, wear a face mask and obey the health commands’ to protect those around them.
Balicer said experts want to prove in the coming weeks that the vaccine also helps reduce serious cases of COVID and hospitalization for people infected.