Israel has yet to see its infection and death rates drop after four weeks of the world’s fastest coronavirus vaccination program – but studies suggest the shot could ultimately slow infection rates by as much as 50 percent.
Although more than 20 percent of the Israeli population has received a starting dose, infection rates are the highest ever, with more than 8,000 people testing positive per day and a record 1102 people hospitalized with Covid-19.
But with scientists saying vaccine protection will typically take a week or two to take effect, Israel expects new hospitalizations to drop soon.
Meanwhile, a top official from Israel’s Ministry of Health offered a ray of hope to the rest of the world by announcing initial findings that the vaccine could not only stop symptoms but also reduce the risk of transmission.
Trials of the Pfizer / BioNTech shot showed that it was 95 percent effective in preventing people from getting sick with Covid-19 when infected. But the new data suggests the vaccine may also prevent people from getting infected at all.
Initial studies of data from Israel’s global vaccination drive suggest that the first dose of the vaccine could be cut by up to 50 percent after 14 days – raising the hope that vaccination efforts will have an even more dramatic effect.
Now that Israel has rolled out the world’s fastest vaccination program, dispensing 1.9 million doses in less than four weeks, studies of hundreds of thousands of people provide perhaps the most comprehensive real-life data on the vaccine’s efficacy.
Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of the health department of the Department of Health, released the 50 percent figure to Channel 12 News, though he cautioned the results are preliminary and should be treated with caution.
Separately, two studies by health care providers Maccabi and Calit showed that infections decreased by 60 percent and 33 percent, respectively, after a first dose of vaccine.
The preliminary studies, which examined hundreds of thousands of patients, were both reported in Israeli media, although the data behind them has not been made public, meaning no explanation has been given as to the discrepancy in their numbers.
Health Minister Yuli Edelstein has warned Israelis to exercise caution even after a first dose of vaccine amid concerns they could still contract the disease.
Israel saw daily Covid-19 infections on Tuesday and active cases all hit time highs. On Tuesday, Israel reported 9,997 new cases – the highest number in a single 24 hours – and 46 deaths, following a record 67 deaths on Monday.
Israel is far ahead of other countries in terms of vaccination, with 23.66 doses per 100 people on January 14. The second highest rate is achieved by the UAE, at 14.1 per 100 people. In comparison, the UK administered 4.52 per 100 people
Initial studies of Israeli vaccine urge data suggest the first dose of the Pfizer shot reduces coronavirus infections by as much as 50 percent after 14 days. Pictured: A woman is vaccinated against the COVID-19 coronavirus in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights
Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of the health department of the Ministry of Health, stressed to Israel’s Channel 12 that the investigation was preliminary, stressing the need for caution – even in those who received the first dose of injection.
Alroy-Preis noted that the data was not sufficient to conclude that the vaccine stops the transmission of Covid-19, as it is believed that a person can spread the virus to others for a limited time while it is still in their nasal cavity .
She added that nearly one-fifth of the country’s more than 1,000 severe Covid-19 patients had previously received the first doses of the vaccine.
“Seventeen percent of today’s new severe cases, or 180 cases, are after the first dose,” she told reporters.
On Tuesday, Israel saw daily Covid-19 infections and active cases hit all time highs, and despite the optimistic signals, the health minister also stressed that extreme caution is still needed.
The vaccine is not expected to provide 95 percent immunity to Covid-19 until one week after receiving the second dose of the vaccine. According to The Times of Israel, the rollout of the second dose in Israel will begin this week.
Speaking with The Telegraph, Yuli Edelstein, the country’s health minister, warned that there was still a risk of getting the virus within two weeks of being given the shot, saying Israelis should remain vigilant.
“Those who get the first shot still have to be very, very careful about their behavior, because of the partial resistance to the disease,” said Edelstein.
Israel has made a leap forward in the global vaccination race by squeezing every last dose from its vaccine supplies and using its efficient health system to launch a 24/7 vaccination program with military assistance. Pictured: Mass Vaccination Center in Tel Aviv
“In my imagination it’s like the scene from the movie where you almost escape danger and take a bullet at the very last moment.”
He added, “It shows what we already know, which is that 95 percent full protection comes after two shots.”
The two studies conducted by health maintenance organizations (HMOs) collected the data from approximately 400,000 patients they treated (800,000 in total), with the reason behind the discrepancy (60 percent and 33 percent) currently unclear.
The Clalit study compared test results from a group of 200,000 people who had received the vaccine with a sample of 200,000 Israelis who had not received the shot.
The full results of the study have yet to be released or peer reviewed.
The Israeli vaccination program is the fastest in the world to date and has given the vaccine to more than two million people – about 20 percent of the population.
The program runs 24/7, even on the Jewish holiday of Shabbat, and is boosted by hundreds of Israeli combat medics who have been called to their service.
Since Pfizer’s phase 3 studies checked only 40,000 people, the data from the Israeli vaccination campaign could provide some of the best indicators of the effectiveness of vaccines against the coronavirus.
The Times of Israel reports that the last number given by officials was 1,910,330 – although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a ceremonial event on Tuesday to celebrate the 2 millionth vaccine.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit the coronavirus vaccination facility in the northern Israeli Arab city of Nazareth on January 13, 2021.
Israel has reported a total of 520,060 confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, with 3,817 related deaths.
On Tuesday, Israel reported 9,997 new cases – the highest number in a single 24 hours – and 46 deaths, after a record 67 deaths on Monday.
Like many countries, Israel is facing a second wave of the virus in the winter, after the number of new infections and related deaths dropped in November.
On January 5, the government announced a national full two-week lockdown, effective January 7. The lockdown will expire at the end of the month, but will almost certainly extend as new cases and deaths continue to increase.