Coronavirus vaccine 97 percent effective at preventing illness in Israel

The coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech is extremely effective at preventing severe disease in a real-world setting, the companies said Thursday, and protection kicks in two weeks after the second dose.

The companies said an analysis of data from Israel showed the shot was at least 97 percent effective in preventing symptomatic disease, severe or critical disease and death, and that the impact from two doses is better than a single dose.

The findings essentially match the 95 percent efficacy the companies reported from the vaccine’s late-stage clinical trial in December, which set the stage for authorization in the U.S.

Preventing transmission: The data, which were announced in a press release and not peer reviewed, also showed that the vaccine was 94 percent effective at preventing asymptomatic infections, a crucial sign that it could be helping to limit transmission of the virus.

Israeli success: Israel has been leading the world in vaccinations and agreed to collect and share the real-world data from its rollout. The country began giving shots to everyone over the age of 16 in December. It is essentially giving real time data to the vaccine’s effectiveness.