Israel's Clalit Health Services Research Institute has published its first research paper on the efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccinations and their influence on preventing infection and morbidity in all age groups.
Clalit, Israel's largest health maintenance organization (HMO) analyzed data from 1.2 million members - 600,000 members who received the Pfizer vaccination and 600,000 members with a similar profile who were not vaccinated. The research found that there was a 94% fall in symptomatic infections among those who were vaccinated and a 92% fall in the rate of those who were seriously ill with Covid-19 among the 600,000 who were vaccinated, compared with the 600,000 who did not receive any vaccination. The efficacy was seen in all age groups, including over 70s, who were only represented in a limited group in Pfizer's clinical trial.
Clalit's survey found high efficacy for the vaccination from seven days or more after the second dose of the vaccine. Clalit researchers were able to say with high certainty that the efficacy against severe Covid from a week after the second Pfizer dose was between 91% and 99%.
Of the 600,000 in each group - vaccinated and unvaccinated - 430,000 were aged between16-59 and 170,000 were 60+. Each group was carefully matched in terms of age, level of risk for serious infection, underlying health conditions and overall health.
Clalit Health Services chief innovation office and head of the Clalit Research Institute Prof. Ran Balicer said, "Together with our colleagues at Harvard University, we have conducted a series of tests to validate the results and we have found in an unequivocal way that Pfizer's vaccination against Covid-19 is most effective in real life, a week after the second dose, exactly as the clinical research found."
He added, "Moreover, the trend we identify tracking after additional weeks after the second dose significantly increases the efficacy measured of the vaccination. In fact, in terms of more than 14 days and more after the second dose, in initial tests, we identify even higher efficacy in preventing symptomatic disease and severe illness among those vaccinated for every age. We will soon be able to also provide a precise assessment on this matter, using the same method, and we expect efficacy data that will be even higher.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on February 14, 2021
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