In Israel, an example for the speed and coverage of vaccinations, we take a step back: in the face of an increase in infections, the opening of the country to tourists is postponed to August 1st and we have already returned to masks in closed places. The reason is explained by the Minister of Health: the Pfizer vaccine loses its effectiveness against the Delta variant, the most contagious.
A loss of effectiveness of about 30%, tripled compared to the 10% estimated in June, but beware: while not preventing infections, the vaccine continues to protect against hospitalization and death. The reduction in the effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19 – which according to the Israeli ministry is now at 64 percent compared to the initial 94.3 percent in May, when the variant first diagnosed in India was less widespread – it therefore entails measures of prudence and protection, such as those already used. But it does not mean that the vaccine is ineffective or does not work: its task, in fact, is to protect against the consequences of the Sars-Cov-2 infection, very serious and even fatal consequences. And this task the vaccine is doing.
Covid, origin, contagiousness and efficacy of vaccines: what we know about the Delta variant
The Delta variant has already proved to be much more contagious than all the others and has shown it even more – if needed – the contagion that took place in a Sydney shopping center, where two people without masks simply became infected. crossing into an aisle of a shop: none of them had spoken or issued droplets, however. There is no longer any doubt that it is destined to prevail. But this shouldn’t be alarming: the two doses of vaccine protect.
And the Minister of Health also reiterated the importance of vaccinations, Roberto Speranza, who in a video message for the conference “Beating cancer is possible”, recalled how the pandemic is not over yet. “We are living in crucial weeks – he said – and that the numbers of other European countries and the world testify that it is not over, which are seeing infections rise despite the high vaccination rate. For this we need maximum attention, caution and prudence and continue in this impressive work that are vaccinations. Italy has exceeded the 54 million doses administered, we have a rate of over 500 thousand doses every day and we must insist on this path. The vaccination campaign is the essential tool we have available to put this difficult season behind us “.
The minister then recalled the data: in the space of a few weeks we went from “almost 3,800 people in intensive care to just under 200, therefore over 90% less; we have touched the 30 thousand people hospitalized, now we are under 1,500, Also in this case we are about 95% less.
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