display
One month after the massive corona vaccination campaign began in Israel, the first study results show that the vaccine significantly reduces the number of new infections.
Just two weeks after the first dose of the Biontech Pifzer vaccine, the number of positive corona tests in people over 60 was significantly lower, according to a study by the country's largest health insurance company.
The health insurance company Clalit compared a group of around 200,000 vaccinated people over 60 with a group of non-vaccinated people of the same size and of the same age, explained the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Ran Balicer.
"That is the most interesting age group in terms of the effectiveness of the vaccine." Balicer emphasized that no special tests were initiated, but only "observed the groups in real life".
The results relate to people in both groups who had to take corona tests for various reasons - for example because they had symptoms or had contact with sick people.
"The proportion of those who tested positive - whether symptomatic or asymptomatic - was 33 percent lower in the vaccinated group than in the non-vaccinated group," said Balicer.
display
The epidemiologist speaks of an "encouraging result that shows that the vaccine is also effective in older people".
He therefore expects that the number of seriously ill corona patients will decrease shortly.
With its rapid vaccination campaign, Israel is considered a pioneer.
More than two million people have already received the first and around a quarter of a million the second dose.
According to Balicer, 75 percent of people over 60 have already been vaccinated.
"We understand how important it is to provide the world with quick and reliable information about the vaccination campaign in Israel," says Balicer, chairman of a team of Corona experts that advises the government.
"We are tracking the effectiveness of the vaccine under real conditions."
All developments on Corona in the live ticker: