JERUSALEM (Reuters) – The first major real-world study of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine to be independently analyzed shows that the shot is extremely effective in preventing COVID-19, at a potentially important time for countries desperate to end blockages and reopen savings.
To date, most data on the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines have come under controlled conditions in clinical trials, leaving an element of uncertainty about how the results would translate into the real world with its unpredictable variables.
Research in Israel – two months into one of the fastest launches in the world, providing a rich source of data – has shown that two doses of Pfizer vaccine reduced COVID-19 symptomatic cases of all ages and severe diseases by 94%. with almost as much.
The study of about 1.2 million people also showed that a single stroke was 57% effective in protecting against symptomatic infections after two weeks, according to data published and reviewed by colleagues in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday.
The results of the study for the Clalit Research Institute were close to those in last year’s clinical trials, which found that two doses were 95% effective.
“We were surprised because we expected that, in the real context, in which the cold chain is not maintained perfectly and the population is older and sicker, that you will not get as good results as you obtained in your studies. controlled clinical trials, ”senior study author Ran Balicer told Reuters. “But I did it and the vaccine worked just as well in the real world.”
“We have shown that the vaccine is equally effective in very different subgroups, young and old, those without co-morbidities and those with few comorbidities,” he added.
The study also suggests that the vaccine, developed by US doctor Pfizer and German company BioNTech, is effective against the coronavirus variant first identified in the UK. The researchers said they could not provide a specific level of effectiveness, but the variant was the dominant version of the virus in Israel at the time of the study.
The research did not shed light on how it will pull Pfizer against another variant, now dominant in South Africa, which has been shown to reduce the effectiveness of other vaccines.
“THIS IS MORE NEWS”
Of the nine million people in Israel, a nation with universal health care, nearly half have received a first dose, and a third have received both doses since the December 19 launch.
This has made the country a prime location for a real-world study of the vaccine’s ability to stop the pandemic, along with its advanced data capabilities.
The study looked at about 600,000 vaccinated people against the same size control group of unvaccinated people. Researchers from Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital also collaborated.
“This is better news, confirming that the vaccine is around 90% effective in preventing documented infection with any severity from 7 days after the second dose,” said Peter English, a British government consultant on communicable diseases.
“Previous documents recently studied in Israel were observational studies. He used an experimental design known as a case-control study … giving greater confidence that the differences between the groups were due to their vaccination status and not to another factor. ”
The study, published on Wednesday, was the first analysis of a national COVID-19 vaccination strategy that was evaluated by colleagues. It also provided a more detailed look at the evolution of the vaccine at weekly intervals, while matching those who received the vaccine to unvaccinated individuals with similar medical history, gender, age, and geographic characteristics.
Other research centers in Israel, including the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Israeli Institute of Technology, have shared several studies in recent weeks showing that the vaccine is effective.
At least three Israeli studies have also suggested that the vaccine may reduce coronavirus transmission, but researchers have warned that more studies are needed to draw clear conclusions.
DID YOU DO YOUR IMMUNITY?
The latest data from the Weizmann Institute show a dramatic decline in the disease – which began this month with the first vaccinated age group, over 60 – has now been extended to the next two groups to supplement both doses.
As infections declined in Israel, the country eased its third national deadlock and reopened areas of its economy, including malls, shops, schools and many jobs in the past two weeks.
Recreation venues, such as theaters, gyms and hotels, were opened on Sunday, but are only open to those considered immune – holders of a “Green Pass”, a health ministry document available for download only by people at seven. days after the second dose or by people who have recovered from COVID-19.
On Wednesday, Tel Aviv held one of the first live concerts in the country after months of meetings were banned due to coronavirus restrictions.
“It is so interesting that we are very happy to be here today. It’s incredible after a year of staying at home, it’s great to be outside to see some culture, “said Gabi Shamir, 60, as he took his place at the outdoor show.
However, the effectiveness of the vaccine does not mean that the country will be free of pandemics soon. As in other parts of the world, a large part of the population is under 16 – about a third in Israel – which means they cannot be vaccinated yet because there have been no results from clinical trials for children.
“This is certainly not the end of the pandemic,” said Eran Kopel, an epidemiologist at Tel Aviv University. “Once there is a safe vaccine for children in Israel and around the world, we can begin to say that we could get closer to the herd’s immunity.”
Additional reporting by Rami Amichay in Tel Aviv and Kate Kelland in London; Written by Maayan Lubell; Edited by Pravin Char