An Israeli study of 523,000 people who received both doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine found that there were no subsequent deaths, according to a report.
The Maccabi Healthcare Services study, cited in The Times of Israel, also found that only 544 vaccinated people contracted the virus, with only four serious cases.
The newspaper marked the news with the following headline: “It works”.
And Dr. Miri Mizrahi Reuveni was quoted as saying: “These data prove unequivocally that the vaccine is very effective and we have no doubt that it saved the lives of many Israelis.”
The news is also welcome, given the current lack of real-life evidence of the vaccine’s effectiveness in preventing infections and deaths from COVID-19, with health officials previously able to rely solely on the results of clinical trials.
Israel is by far the world leader in vaccine distribution rates.
According to the respected Oxford University website Our World in Data, Israel administered 69.46 doses per 100,000 people on Wednesday.
The rate of vaccine implantation in Israel compared to other countries is shown in the graph below.
The Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine is one of the two vaccines currently in circulation in the UK.
The other approved vaccine is the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, which has raised questions about its effectiveness against the South African variant of the virus.
Watch: People 65 and older in England can now receive the COVID vaccine
However, AstraZeneca said it still provides a “good level of protection” against serious illnesses caused by new variants. It was also approved by WHO for use on all adults on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, on Friday, NHS England said people aged 65 to 69 can now receive a COVID vaccine in England if GPs have done everything they can to reach those most at risk.
Read More:
‘It’s too risky’: Why UK hotel quarantine could lead to local COVID outbreaks
‘We reopen too fast’: WHO warns European leaders against false sense of security
Some parts of England have already started vaccinating those over 65 with their first dose, after they reached all four priority groups – including those over 70 and household residents – who wanted a vaccine.
As soon as those over 65 are vaccinated, they will be officially followed by all over 16 with underlying health problems, then those over 60, those over 55 and those over 50.
Watch: What you can and cannot do during England’s third national blockade