Pfizer vaccine 94% effective in real world: Israel study

[steveluv]

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Pfizer-vaccine-94-effective-in-real-world-Israel-study?utm_campaign=RN Subscriber newsletter&utm_medium=coronavirus_newsletter&utm_source=NAR Newsletter&utm_content=article link&del_type=10&pub_date=20210225150000&seq_num=12&si=44594

Pfizer vaccine 94% effective in real world: Israel study
Results from fast rollout help ease uncertainty in fight against COVID

The research in Israel - two months into one of the world's fastest rollouts -- is providing a rich source of data outside of clinical trials.   © Reuters
February 25, 2021 10:35 JST

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -- The first big real-world study of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to be independently reviewed shows the shot is highly effective at preventing COVID-19, in a potentially landmark moment for countries desperate to end lockdowns and reopen economies.

Up until now, most data on the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines has come under controlled conditions in clinical trials, leaving an element of uncertainty over how results would translate into the real world with its unpredictable variables.

The research in Israel - two months into one of the world's fastest rollouts, providing a rich source of data - showed two doses of the Pfizer shot cut symptomatic COVID-19 cases by 94% across all age groups, and severe illnesses by nearly as much.

The study of about 1.2 million people also showed a single shot was 57% effective in protecting against symptomatic infections after two weeks, according to the data published and peer-reviewed in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday.

The results of the study for the Clalit Research Institute were close to those in clinical trials last year which found two doses were found to be 95% effective.

"We were surprised because we expected that in the real-world setting, where cold chain is not maintained perfectly and the population is older and sicker, that you will not get as good results as you got in the controlled clinical trials," senior study author Ran Balicer told Reuters. "But we did and the vaccine worked as well in the real world."

"We have shown the vaccine to be as effective in very different sub-groups, in the young and in the old in those with no co-morbidities and in those with few co-morbidities," he added.

The study also suggests the vaccine, developed by U.S drugmaker Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech, is effective against the coronavirus variant first identified in the UK. Researchers said they could not provide a specific level of efficacy, 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 the Pfizer shot will fare against another variant, now dominant in South Africa, that has been shown to reduce the efficacy of other vaccines.

Of the nine million people in Israel, a nation with universal healthcare, nearly half have received a first dose, and a third have received both doses since the rollout began on Dec. 19.

This made the country a prime location for a real-world study into the vaccine's ability to stem the pandemic, along with its advanced data capabilities.

The study examined about 600,000 vaccinated people against the same sized control group of unvaccinated people. Researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital also collaborated.

"This is more great news, confirming that the vaccine is around 90% effective at preventing documented infection of any degree of severity from 7 days after the second dose," said Peter English, a British government consultant in communicable disease control.

"Previous recently studied papers from Israel were observational studies. This one used an experimental design known as a case-control study ... giving greater confidence that differences between the groups are due to their vaccination status, and not to some other factor."

The study published on Wednesday was the first analysis of a national COVID-19 vaccination strategy to be peer-reviewed. It also offered a more detailed look at how the vaccine was faring at weekly intervals, while matching people who received the shot to unvaccinated individuals with similar medical histories, sex, age and geographical characteristics.

Other research centres in Israel, including the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Israel Institute of Technology have shared several studies in recent weeks that show the vaccine to be effective.

At least three studies out of Israel have also suggested the vaccine can reduce coronavirus transmission, but the researchers have cautioned that wider studies must be conducted in order to establish clear-cut conclusions.

The Weizmann Institute's latest data shows a dramatic drop in illness - which began this month with the first age group vaccinated, the over-60s - has now extended to the two subsequent groups to have completed both doses.

As infections have fallen in Israel, the country has eased its third national lockdown and reopened swathes of its economy including malls, shops, schools and many workplaces in the past two weeks.

Recreational venues such as theatres, gyms and hotels opened on Sunday, but are open only to those deemed immune - holders of a "Green Pass", a health ministry document available for download only by people seven days after their second dose or people who have recovered from COVID-19.

On Wednesday, Tel Aviv held one of the country's first live concerts after months of gatherings being banned under coronavirus restrictions.

"This is so exciting, we are really so happy to be here today. It's unbelievable after one year of staying at home, it's great to be out to see some culture," said 60-year-old Gabi Shamir as she took her seat at the open-air show.

Still, the vaccine's efficacy does not mean the country will be pandemic free any time soon. Like elsewhere in the world, a large proportion of the population are under 16 - about a third in Israel - meaning that they cannot yet get vaccinated as there have not been clinical trial results for children.

"This is definitely not the end of the pandemic," said Eran Kopel, an epidemiologist at Tel Aviv University. "Once there is a safe vaccine for the children in Israel and all over the world we can then start to say that we could be approaching herd immunity."

Edited February 25, 2021 by steveluv

[Thaiyotakamli]

Just curious how they test the efficacy? How to know 94% of sample size did exposed to the virus?

[Windwaver]

It's hard to convince some old folks even if it's that high.

[Kb27]

Quote

 

Pfizer COVID-19 shot effective for people with chronic diseases: Israel study

JERUSALEM: The COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech is effective at preventing symptomatic and severe disease in people with some chronic illnesses, like diabetes and heart disease, the biggest real-world study showed on Thursday (Apr 22).

The analysis of almost 1.2 million people by Israel's largest healthcare provider will offer further hope for countries as they get shots into citizens' arms, particularly those considered vulnerable, and curb the pandemic that has killed more than 3.1 million people.

The vaccine was 80 per cent effective against symptomatic infection for people with heart or chronic kidney diseases, 86 per cent for people with type 2 diabetes, 75 per cent for cerebrovascular disease, and 84 per cent for people suffering from immunodeficiency, according to the Clalit Research Institute study.

For people who were vaccinated and were already suffering three or more chronic conditions or risk factors, such as heart disease, neurological disease, chronic kidney disease, chronic lung disease, smoking, pregnancy or obesity, the research shows it was 88 per cent effective in preventing symptomatic infection.

It was more than 90 per cent effective against severe disease for people with type 2 diabetes, heart or cerebrovascular disease and 100 per cent for people suffering from immunodeficiency.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/pfizer-covid-19-shot-effective-for-people-with-chronic-diseases-14674886

 

 

 

Good vaccine.

Edited April 23, 2021 by Kb27

[Victor68]

On 2/25/2021 at 5:34 PM, Thaiyotakamli said:

Just curious how they test the efficacy? How to know 94% of sample size did exposed to the virus?

It depends you want a good or bad result lor

[Playtime]

is it too late to hoot the company shares?

 

incredibly.... got friend who refuse any vaccinate cos he believe its all a conspiracy to help drug companies make money and wont help anyone..... i no words....

[kiwijag]

boss lives there, most folk a lot more relaxed after vaccine rollout. Its a confidence thing.

[Windwaver]

You guys may want to check this interesting FB comments

 

[Beregond]

6 minutes ago, Windwaver said:

You guys may want to check this interesting FB comments

 

A worker of 1 of my customer lost his family member 1 day after taking pizer recently

Its a very low profiles  cases. Not in the paper not any where. I know it by mouth only......

 

[Windwaver]

3 hours ago, Beregond said:

A worker of 1 of my customer lost his family member 1 day after taking pizer recently

Its a very low profiles  cases. Not in the paper not any where. I know it by mouth only......

 

I have an ex-colleague told me similar stories of her relatives, not on papers too; she has no reason to bluff me leh 

[Kb27]

True to the end, some people would rather die of COVID than take vaccine. Now that you're dead, you can't fight vaccine anymore. How silly.

 

Israel’s Top COVID Truther Claimed COVID That Killed Him Was ‘Poison’ Attack

One of Israel’s top anti-vaxx activists has died of COVID-19, two days after posting a final message to his followers that ordered them to “keep fighting” against the shot that could have saved his life.

Hai Shoulian, 57, spent much of the pandemic organizing protests against coronavirus rules—including mask mandates and Israel’s vaccine-passport scheme, the Green Pass. He lost his life to COVID-19 on Monday morning after spending 10 days at Tel Aviv’s Wolfson Medical Center.

His brother, Avi, told The Daily Beast that his family felt like they had been torn apart, as he headed to his brother’s funeral on Tuesday. “Our dad used to say that every table has four legs and we were four, that was our family motto,” he said, tearfully. “And since yesterday we’re three.”

Avi said his brother’s death certificate lists the coronavirus as the cause of death. He said he decided to speak to the media to encourage his brother’s followers to take the vaccine “and save their lives.” The brother added: “I wish I managed to convince him to save his own life.”

more...

[fanwater]

@steveluv 

Sure is make-up result

In US, so many people already fully vaccinated with pfizer, still got infected and died of covid19 related complication. If pfizer were so effective, US would have put the covid 19 spread under control long time ago. But the truth is after 2 years, still struggling to keep new cases down and havent peaked out

[Kb27]

7 hours ago, fanwater said:

@steveluv 

Sure is make-up result

In US, so many people already fully vaccinated with pfizer, still got infected and died of covid19 related complication. If pfizer were so effective, US would have put the covid 19 spread under control long time ago. But the truth is after 2 years, still struggling to keep new cases down and havent peaked out

US problem is the unvaccinated. More than 90% filling up ICU beds and dying  are the unvaccinated.

Edited September 18, 2021 by Kb27

[mersaylee]

I can only say some peeps obstinate lasted till the very last breath 

[fanwater]

@Kb27 

Show me your proof?

So far none of those countries mainly vaccinated using pfizer (incl US and Israel themselves) had shown sign of number of daily new cases can come down drastically yet.

Even in Singapore here, people vaccinated with pfizer still got infected with Covid19 and daily reports of dead people who are vaccinated and unvaccinated are 50%-50% are not uncommon.

So even if pfizer is "effective", it would not be what this report says 95% effective, especially after 3 months of injection

[Thaiyotakamli]

16 hours ago, Kb27 said:

US problem is the unvaccinated. More than 90% filling up ICU beds and dying  are the unvaccinated.

Problem is i find after vaccinated with pfizer the spread rate even faster. At this rate we will need booster every half year. How many decades we need to live with covid? How many more booster shot we need?