[ad_1]
Israeli research shows that the coronavirus vaccine made by Pfizer not only protects people vaccinated against COVID-19, but also helps prevent those who are immune from spreading the disease to others.
Whether the vaccine would help prevent those who received it from still being carriers was a key question as vaccinations rolled out around the world.
Woman vaccinated against coronavirus at vaccination center in Jerusalem
(Photo: AFP)
Clinical research carried out by Israel’s largest health fund Clalit has shown a significant drop in infections in 200,000 people aged 60 and over two weeks after the first vaccinations. The 200,000 people involved in the research have not all been vaccinated.
Professor Ran Balicer, head of innovation at Clalit, says there is no visible effect on general infection rates for days 5 to 12 after administration of the first dose of the vaccination in two steps.
According to the data, there was a slight decrease in morbidity on day 13, but on day 14 there was a 33% drop in the spread of disease between those who were vaccinated and those who were not.
The Pfizer vaccine
(Photo: AFP)
Israel began immunizing its population using the Pfizer vaccine on December 20, 2020. So far, the country has given the first of two vaccines to nearly 2 million people and has already started administering the second dose.
This is the first evidence that the Pfizer vaccine not only prevents a person from contracting COVID-19 after exposure to the coronavirus, but also prevents that exposed person from transmitting the virus to others.
It is not yet known whether the first dose of the vaccine reduces morbidity by more than 33%, or what the percentage would be after the second dose, but Israeli health experts believe the data shows a significant drop in the spread of the virus. .
Prof. Ran Balicer, Head of Innovation at Clalit HMO
(Photo: Orel Cohen)
Professor Balicer said that while 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 respect public health rules” to protect those around them.
Balicer said experts hope to prove in the coming weeks that the vaccine also helps reduce severe cases of COVID and hospitalizations among those infected.
[ad_2]
Source link