TEL AVIV – Cfid-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc.
and BioNTech SE is equally effective in all age groups, including those over 60, according to a new Israeli study, in an increase in confidence in global vaccination efforts.
The Pfizer vaccine provided about 94% protection against the development of coronavirus symptoms in all age groups over the age of 16 per week after the second stroke of a recommended two-dose regimen, according to a study by Clalit researchers. Research Institute of Israel and Harvard University. The study also found that the vaccine is 92% effective in preventing severe disease.
The results are consistent with the vaccine manufacturer’s own clinical trial, but the large size of the study, which covered nearly 1.2 million people, provides a more accurate perspective on older age groups that were poorly covered by the doctor’s study. , according to the study’s authors. .
The peer-reviewed study, parts of which were previously reported, was published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Israel is the only country that has started vaccinating all age groups over the age of 16 in relatively large numbers as part of its campaign to inoculate the majority of its nine million population by March.
The pace of Israel’s inoculation pulse and its technologically advanced health system have allowed researchers to gather real-world data on the vaccine – from efficacy to side effects – and provided them with an unprecedented insight into the effect of the vaccine in different age groups. The results offer important new perspectives for other countries as they launch their own programs.
The researchers in this study were able to analyze data from about 1.2 million people and two decades worth of their health records. Because the study was observational in nature, the researchers worked to minimize any bias between the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups that could explain better outcomes, such as better health habits.
To do this, they compared each vaccinated individual with an unvaccinated person who had a similar profile, including the level of risk of infection, the level of risk of developing serious illness and general health.
This study provides “scientifically validated real-world evidence of vaccine efficacy,” said Prof. Ran Balicer, Clalit’s director of innovation and one of the study’s lead authors.
Israel is leading the world in the global vaccine race. More than half of its population has received the first blow, including 90% of those over 60, and about a third of the country is completely vaccinated, according to the Israeli Ministry of Health. After starting its campaign on December 20 with health workers and the elderly, Israel opened it to everyone over the age of 16 earlier this month.
As highly transmissible coronavirus variants travel the world, scientists are struggling to understand why these new versions of the virus are spreading faster and what this could mean for vaccination efforts. New research says the key may be the spike protein, which gives the coronavirus an unmistakable shape. Illustration: Nick Collingwood / WSJ
The results of the Clalit study were similar to recent research in the UK and other Israeli researchers that a single blow to Pfizer can provide strong protection.
One dose of Pfizer vaccine was found to be 57% effective in preventing symptomatic Covid-19 and 62% effective in preventing severe disease 14 to 20 days after the first dose. Pfizer’s own clinical study found that a dose is 57% effective in preventing symptomatic Covid-19.
The vaccine is also extremely effective for those with one to two pre-existing health conditions, the study authors said. But they said more tests would be needed to understand how effective the vaccine is for those with three or more pre-existing conditions.
The Israeli study included more than 110,000 people over the age of 70 and more than 40,000 people over the age of 80. In both cases, the study showed that their protection is equal to any of the younger age groups.
Most countries launched vaccination programs targeting the elderly first, but did not have enough data at the time on its effectiveness to support that movement. According to Mr Balicer, the original Pfizer clinical trial, due to its small scale, did not have a granular perspective on adults aged 70 years or older.
The large size of the Israeli database allowed researchers to look closely at each age group.
Israel paid a vaccine premium and agreed to share data on early deliveries from Pfizer. He has also placed orders with other vaccination companies, including Moderna Inc.
and AstraZeneca PLC.
The aggressive vaccination campaign paved the way for the country’s reopening. In recent months, Israel has suffered some of the worst per capita infection rates in the world, as many blockages have been breached and, more recently, a British variant of the disease has increased.
On Saturday night, Israel began issuing so-called green passports that allow vaccinated people to enter gyms, concerts and hotels. Subscriptions will be used later in restaurants and bars when they reopen in the coming weeks.
—Jared Hopkins of New York contributed to this article.
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