Data from Israel suggest that the Biontech vaccination protects against infection with the Delta variant less well than hoped. However, a vaccine expert advises caution when interpreting the data.
After reports from Israel about a reduced effectiveness of the Pfizer / Biontech vaccination against the Delta variant of the coronavirus, a Charité expert warned against quick conclusions. “You have to look at these numbers with caution. It is methodologically difficult to determine the exact effectiveness of the vaccination in a setting like Israel with low incidences and local outbreaks,” said Leif Erik Sander on Tuesday when asked by the German press agency With. Data from the UK indicated that the vaccine protection was only slightly reduced shortly after the second dose with Delta – compared to the previously predominant alpha variant.
Sander explained that it is also conceivable that the immune protection would decrease somewhat over time. Vaccination was carried out very early in Israel. It has long been feared that the protection against the transmission of the virus in particular could diminish over time – it is considered to be less durable than the protection of the vaccinated person himself. “So you have to keep watching the numbers closely,” says Sander.
In principle, it can be assumed that the delta variant could lead to more frequent breakthrough infections – i.e. infections in vaccinated people – and also to the transmission of the virus by vaccinated people, Sander confirmed. He emphasized, however, that both Israel and Great Britain showed that the vaccination “protects very well against the course of the disease.”
The virologist Alexander Kekulé sees the reports of a lower effectiveness of the Pfizer / Biontech vaccine against the Delta variant rather calmly. “This is not something we all have to panic about now,” he told the broadcaster MDR Aktuell. It is completely clear that the vaccines against new variants do not achieve the same effectiveness as against original variants. Even with a lower level of vaccination protection, the immune system is in a better starting position than without vaccination.
Kekulé stressed that the Israeli effectiveness study has not yet been published and the data may be preliminary. In addition, there are other studies from England, for example, that have shown an effectiveness of 88 percent against the Delta variant.
Lauterbach is concerned
On the other hand, SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach expressed concern. “If the data are confirmed, that is cause for concern,” said Lauterbach of the “Augsburger Allgemeine” (Wednesday edition). “What worried me about the study is the fact that seven percent of those vaccinated could become seriously ill,” said Lauterbach. It is possible that it is not the delta variant alone that is responsible for the lower effectiveness, but also extensive relaxation. In any case, the mixture of spreading the mutated Corona variant and simultaneous relaxation is dangerous, warned Lauterbach.
In Israel, the effectiveness of the Pfizer / Biontech vaccination has decreased significantly in recent weeks, according to the Ministry of Health there. At the same time, the more aggressive Delta variant has spread across the country.
Effectiveness drops to 64 percent
Since June 6, the effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing infection in Israel has fallen to 64 percent. This is also the case when preventing a disease with symptoms. However, 93 percent of the vaccine repels serious illness and hospital stays.
In Israel, despite a high vaccination rate, the number of registered new corona infections has increased significantly for around two weeks. According to the Ministry of Health, 334 people tested positive on Sunday. Most recently, more than 300 new corona infections were detected in one day at the beginning of April. Most of the new infections are related to the Delta variant, which was first detected in India. Many of those infected are younger people.
Because of its successful vaccination campaign, Israel is considered a model country in the fight against the coronavirus. Out of around 9.3 million inhabitants, 5.7 million people received the first vaccination, of which 5.2 million are fully vaccinated. This corresponds to 56 percent of the population.
