Israel has reported a decrease to 64% in the effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in preventing infections and symptomatic illness.
The vaccine however remains 93% effective in preventing hospitalisations and serious illness from the coronavirus.
The decline has coincided with the spread of the Delta variant and the end of social distancing restrictions in Israel.
The Health Ministry said: “Vaccine effectiveness in preventing both infection and symptomatic disease fell to 64% since 6 June.”
The ministry did not say in its statement what the previous level was or provide any further details. However, ministry officials published a report in May that two doses of Pfizer’s vaccine provided more than 95% protection against infection, hospitalisation, and severe illness.
As reported in Reuters, a Pfizer spokesperson declined to comment on the data from Israel, but cited other research showing that antibodies elicited by the vaccine were still able to neutralise all tested variants, including Delta, albeit at reduced strength.
Data scientist Eran Segal of Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science said the country was unlikely to experience the high levels of hospitalisations seen earlier in the year since there were much fewer critically ill.
He said it was fine to “continue with life back to normal and without restrictions”, while increasing measures like vaccination outreach and ensuring testing for Israelis returning home from abroad.
Around 60% of Israel’s 9.3 million population have received at least one shot of Pfizer’s vaccine, this led to cases dropping from more than 10,000 in January to just single digits in June.
This encouraged Israel to drop nearly all social distancing as well as the requirement to wear masks, though the latter was partially reinstated recently.
Since then daily cases have gradually risen, reaching 343 on Sunday. The number of seriously ill rose to 35 from 21.
Lilly Subbotin
This is a syndicated feed from Pharmafile
