Less than 0.01 percent of people who received the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine contracted the virus more than a week after receiving their second injection.
Preliminary results shared by the main Israeli health provider, Maccabi, showed that only 20 of the 128,600 people who received the two vaccines were infected with the virus, Reuters reported.
The data were released during a national blockade that has helped to stem contagion in Israel, where people began receiving the first shots of the Pfizer jab on December 19.
“According to Maccabi experts, these are preliminary data, but the numbers are very encouraging,” said Maccabi in a statement.
“Maccabi reports that of the 20 infected people, 50% suffer from chronic diseases. All patients had a mild illness with symptoms including headaches, cough, weakness or fatigue. No one was hospitalized or had a fever above 38.5 ° C. Most patients tested for COVID-19 due to exposure to a verified patient, ”he added.
Israel is providing Pfizer with weekly updates on its vaccination campaign under an agreement that can help other countries refine their own vaccination efforts.
Maccabi official Anat Ekka Zohar said that “the fact that infected patients come from different profiles is consistent with Pfizer’s test results.”
“We will monitor these patients closely to see if they continue to suffer only from mild symptoms and do not develop complications as a result of the virus,” she added.
More than 2.6 million Israelis received a single dose of the injection and about 1.2 million received both, out of a population of about 9 million.
The country reported about 600,000 cases and 4,478 deaths during the pandemic.