New Israeli data reveals low efficacy of ‘Pfizer’ vaccine in preventing corona infection

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – New data from Israel indicates that the effectiveness of the vaccine “Pfizer” against infection with any type of coronavirus infection is 39%, and that the rate of protection against severe symptoms of “Covid-19” is still more than 90.%.

Preliminary information released by the Israeli Ministry of Health indicates that the effectiveness of Pfizer’s vaccine against coronavirus infection has declined since the start of this year, although data shows the vaccine is still 91.4% effective. to prevent serious illness.

In a brief statement on Friday, the ministry said the overall effectiveness against infection and symptomatic illnesses is 39%, but it is still unclear whether this is the result of the spread of the delta mutant or of a decrease. general effectiveness of the vaccine over time.

Israel’s health ministry gave few details about the small sample of people included in the analysis.

Israeli data indicated that there are large differences between people who received the vaccine at the start of the Israeli vaccination program and those who received both doses of the vaccine recently.

For people who received two doses of the vaccine at the end of January, the vaccine’s effectiveness fell to 16%, in terms of the vaccine’s ability to prevent any type of infection.

Among those who received their second dose at the end of April, the vaccine was 75% effective.

However, Israeli data has shown that the vaccine’s effectiveness in preventing severe symptoms of the disease is holding up.

For Israelis who had been vaccinated at the end of January, protection against severe symptoms of COVID-19 was 86%. As for those who were vaccinated at the end of April, the rate of effectiveness in preventing symptoms of “Covid-19” was 84%.

The vaccine efficacy rate for those who received both doses of the vaccine at the end of March was 94%.

Israel’s vaccination program began at the end of December last year, with the elderly population receiving their doses first.

Just under 60% of the population has been vaccinated against COVID-19.

The head of Israel’s National Coronavirus Expert Committee, Ran Paleiser, has constantly warned against overinterpreting the results of small data samples, saying it takes longer to get a more accurate picture of what happens.