Jerusalem: Israel reported on Monday decreasing the effectiveness of the Pfizer / Bionech Covid-19 vaccine in preventing infection and symptomatic disease but said it was still very effective in preventing serious diseases.
The decline coincides with the spread of the Delta variant and the end of social distance restrictions in Israel.
The effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing infection and symptomatic disease fell to 64% since June 6, the Ministry of Health said.
At the same time the vaccine was 93% effective in preventing hospitalization and serious illness from Coronavirus.
The ministry in his statement did not say what the previous level or provided further details.
However, the Ministry official published a report in May that two doses of the Pfizer vaccine provided protection of more than 95% of infections, hospitalization and severe illness.
A Pfizer spokesman refused to comment on data from Israel, but quoted other studies that show that the antibodies caused by vaccines could still neutralize all variants tested, including Delta, despite reduced.
About 60% of the 9.3 million population of Israel had received at least one shot of the Pfizer vaccine in a campaign that saw everyday cases down from more than 10,000 in January to one digit last month.
It spurred Israel to reduce almost all social blasphemy and requirements to wear a mask, even though the latter was partly released again in the last few days.
At the same time Delta, which has become a dominant variant globally from Coronavirus, began to spread.
Since then the daily case gradually rose, reaching 343 on Sunday.
The number of serious illnesses rose to 35 of 21.
Eran Segal data scientists from the Weizmann Israeli Science Institute said the country was unlikely to experience a high level of hospitalization seen at the beginning of the year since it was far worse.
He said it was fine to “continue life back to normal and without restrictions” while increasing steps such as vaccination outreach and ensuring testing for Israel home from abroad.