JERUSALEM (Reuters) – The risk of COVID-19 disease fell 95.8% among people who received both Pfizer vaccines, the Israeli Ministry of Health reported on Saturday.
The vaccine was also 98% effective in preventing fever or respiratory problems and 98.9% effective in preventing hospitalizations and death, the ministry said.
The findings were based on data collected nationally until February 13 from Israelis who received their second injection at least two weeks earlier. According to the Ministry of Health website, about 1.7 million people received a second injection by January 30, making them eligible to be included.
Israel’s ambitious vaccination campaign has become the largest real-world study of Pfizer’s vaccine. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that he expects 95% of Israelis aged 50 and over to be vaccinated in the next two weeks.
Previous reports from individual health care providers have also shown positive results, encouraging Israel to remove restrictions on the economy after weeks of blockade. On Sunday, schools and many stores may reopen.
The Ministry of Health has also launched a “Green Pass” application, linked to personal medical files, that people who have been fully vaccinated or considered immune after the recovery of COVID-19 can show to stay in hotels or participate in cultural or sporting events.
Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by David Holmes and Giles Elgood