Israeli Prime Minister Orders 2 Major Post-Vaccination Studies

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th July, 2021) Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Monday chaired a meeting with security and health officials, tasking the health ministry with conducting two major studies that should assist the country in making informed decisions about COVID-19 vaccines.

The meeting was attended by the chief of the National Security Council, Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz, and a number of top health officials.

"Prime Minister Bennett and Health Minister Horowitz decided that the Health Ministry would advance two medical studies that will provide vital information for the decision-making about the vaccines," the prime minister's office said.

One study will be conducted with COVID-19 patients who have been vaccinated to assess the efficacy of a vaccine and the rate at which it wears off over time among those from various age groups and with various pre-existing conditions.

They also agreed to evaluate cellular immunity among vaccinated persons over time through serological tests.

Israel started its vaccination drive on December 20 and has since vaccinated about 57% of the population. More than 5 million Israelis have been fully vaccinated. Earlier in the day, scientists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem told Sputnik that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is 60-80% effective against the new highly-infectious Delta variant, down from 90% efficacy against the Alpha strain.