The results of Israel s vaccination drive is continuing to inspire hope around the world. The first big real-world study of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to be independently reviewed, based on data collected on the Israeli rollout, shows the shot is highly effective at preventing Covid-19, in a potentially landmark moment for countries desperate to end lockdowns and reopen economies.
Up until now, most data on the efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines has come under controlled conditions in clinical trials, leaving an element of uncertainty over how results would translate into the real world with its unpredictable variables.
Ran Balicer, Director of Health Policy Planning at Clalit. Photo: Orel Cohen The research in Israel - two months into one of the world s fastest rollouts, providing a rich source of data - showed two doses of the Pfizer shot cut symptomatic Covid-19 cases by 94% across all age groups, and severe illnesses by nearly as much.