|
 Health maintenance organization (HMO) Clalit, which covers more than
half of all Israelis, said the same group was also 92% less likely
to develop severe illness from the virus.
The comparison was against a group of the same size, with matching
medical histories, who had not received the vaccine.
"It shows unequivocally that Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine is
extremely effective in the real world a week after the second dose,
just as it was found to be in the clinical study," said Ran Balicer,
Clalit's chief innovation officer.
He added that the data indicates the Pfizer vaccine, which was
developed in partnership with Germany's BioNTech, is even more
effective two weeks or more after the second shot.
[to top of second column] |
 Researchers at the Weizmann
Institute of Science, who have been tabulating
national data, said on Sunday that a sharp
decline in hospitalisation and serious illness
identified earlier among the first age group to
be vaccinated - aged 60 or older - was seen for
the first time in those aged 55 and older.
Hospitalisations and serious illness were still
rising in younger groups who began vaccinations
weeks later.
Israel has been conducting a rapid vaccine
rollout and its database offers insights into
vaccine effectiveness and at what point
countries might attain herd immunity.
(Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch and Maayan Lubell;
Editing by David Goodman)
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