The Pfizer vaccine is less effective against the spread of the Delta variant, according to an Israeli study

The BioNTech / Pfizer vaccine is less effective in stopping the spread of the Delta variant than previous coronavirus strains, according to a study published by the Israeli Ministry of Health.

Data collected over the past month suggests that the vaccine is 64% effective in stopping the infection among those who are fully inoculated, the ministry said. Efficacy against previous strains of the virus was estimated at 94%.

However, the figures, first published on the Ynet news portal, indicate that the vaccine is 93% effective against serious illness and hospitalization.

The cases have been settled since Israel lifted all remaining restrictions on Covid-19 on June 1, and many experts blamed the highly transmissible variant of Delta.

As of Monday, the country had nearly 2,600 active cases, more than double the previous week, although the ministry said only 35 were considered seriously ill.

Earlier this year the British health authorities also documented one drop in effectiveness for the Pfizer jab versus the Delta variant, though less serious. Public Health England in May found that the vaccine provided 88% protection against symptomatic Delta infection and 93% protection against the Alpha variant first identified in Kent. According to this study, the protection conferred by two doses of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine was less than 66% for the Delta variant.

Israel has enjoyed one of the fastest inoculation mechanisms in the world, coming out of the blockade in the spring. More than 5 million of the 9 million Israeli citizens have been completely vaccinated.

Rising tax rates have alarmed Naftali Bennett’s government. The government last month imposed facial mask requirements for indoor meetings and public transportation and is considering additional restrictions, including the reintroduction of the “green passport” plan for those who have been vaccinated, limits on large public meetings and “reinforcement” blows.

A push to inoculate teenagers, including the prime minister’s daughter, was launched last week, and more than 100,000 have been punched.