Hugely encouraging news, although the study is not yet peer reviewed.
The Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine "greatly reduces" transmission of the virus, two Israeli studies have shown.
It recently emerged that the Pfizer jab offers up to 85% protection after just one dose, and now a study conducted by Israeli Health Ministry and Pfizer Inc shows that the jab, produced in Germany, reduces infection in asymptomatic cases by 89.4% as well as in symptomatic cases (93.7%.)
The study has not yet been peer reviewed and neither Pfizer nor the Israeli Health Ministry have made public comment on the findings, but the early signs are good.
A different study by Israel’s Sheba Medical Centre also found that among 7,214 hospital staff who were given their first dose, there was a reduction of 85 per cent in symptomatic Covid-19 within 15 to 28 days, and an overall reduction of infections, including asymptomatic cases detected by testing, of 75%.
Michal Linial, a professor of molecular biology and bioinformatics at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, spoke positively of the findings.
"Whether it is 75 or 90 percent reduction doesn’t matter - it is a big drop in transmission," Linial
said.
"It means that not only is the individual vaccinated protected, the inoculation also provides protection to his or her surroundings."
