An Israeli study of 523,000 people who received both doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine found no deaths, according to a report.
The Maccabi Healthcare Services survey, quoted in The Times of Israel, also found that only 544 people vaccinated contracted the virus, with only four serious cases.
The newspaper flagged the news with the headline, “It Works.”
And Dr. Miri Mizrahi Reuveni said, “These data prove unequivocally that the vaccine is very effective and we have no doubt that it has saved the lives of many Israelis.”
The news is also welcome given the current lack of real-life evidence of the efficacy of vaccines in preventing COVID-19 infections and deaths, where previously health authorities could rely solely on the results of clinical trials.
Israel is by far the world leader when it comes to the speed at which vaccines are rolled out.
According to the respected Our World in Data website at the University of Oxford, Israel had administered 69.46 doses per 100,000 people as of Wednesday.
The rollout rate of Israeli vaccines compared to other countries is shown by the chart below.
The Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine is one of two injections currently being issued in the UK.
The other approved vaccine is the Oxford / AstraZeneca shot, which has raised questions about its effectiveness against the South African variant of the virus.
Look: People 65 and older in England can now get the COVID vaccine
However, AstraZeneca has said it still provides a “good level of protection” against serious diseases caused by new variants. It was also approved by the WHO on Wednesday for use in all adults.
On Friday, the NHS England, meanwhile, said that people aged 65 to 69 can now get a COVID vaccine in England if GPs have done everything they can to reach those at higher risk.
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Some parts of England have already started to vaccinate people over 65 with their first dose after reaching everyone in the top four priority groups – including the over 70s and nursing home residents – who wanted a shot.
Once vaccinated, the over-65s are officially followed by all over-16s with underlying health problems, followed by those over 60, over 55 and over 50.
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