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Berlin (dpa) - The corona vaccine from Biontech / Pfizer could, according to an unpublished publication, also protect against infection with the pathogen.
So far, there has only been knowledge to what extent the agent protects against diseases.
The active ingredient is "highly effective" in preventing infections with Sars-CoV-2, according to a manuscript for a study between the two manufacturers and the Israeli Ministry of Health.
However, the study authors also write that their approach could lead to the effect of vaccination on infections being overestimated.
The study results are difficult to assess.
The manuscript was leaked to Israeli journalists from the Internet portal "ynet" and has not been officially published, neither on a preprint server nor in a specialist journal that has been examined by experts.
It is available to the German Press Agency.
Biontech did not want to comment on the document when asked on Sunday.
The Ministry of Health did not comment either.
The study manuscript is based on Israeli health data of vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach was very optimistic about the results of the study.
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So far it was unclear to what extent the vaccine from Biontech / Pfizer prevents infection with the coronavirus.
Because the first results of a large clinical investigation with more than 40,000 test persons did not refer to infections, but to diseases.
According to this early study, the Biontech vaccine was 95 percent effective on disease.
This means that 95 percent fewer diseases occurred among the subjects in a vaccinated group than among those in a control group.
In order to get the pandemic under control as quickly as possible, not only diseases should be prevented, but chains of infection should also be broken.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210221-99-532451 / 2