ISRAELI STUDY CONFIRMS IMPORTANCE OF SECOND COVID-19 JABS

A new study from Israel has illustrated the stark difference between the first and second jabs of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine in reducing a person's ability to avoid coronavirus infection, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported.

A nationwide study by the Health Ministry and the manufacturer Pfizer showed that between seven and 14 days after receiving the first dose, the vaccine delivered a protective effect of 58 percent against infection, 76 percent against hospitalization, and 77 percent against death.

However, only the second jab marked a jump to near-full protection rates, and seven days after the second dose, the risk of infection, hospitalization, or death is reduced by more than 95 percent, the study found.

The authors of the study, published in the journal The Lancet, emphasized that little is known about the duration of the effectiveness of the first dose.

Receiving only one shot could mean a shorter period of protection, especially in areas with new coronavirus variants. In general, there is still uncertainty about the duration of immunity after the second vaccination.

The study is based on data collected in Israel between January 24 and April 3, 2021. On January 24, about 2.6 million people had received the first vaccination and 1.2 million had also received the second vaccination.

On April 3, about 4.8 million people had received the double vaccination and 5.3 million had received the single vaccination.

Around 9.3 million people live in Israel. Israel started administering the vaccine on December 19 and made significant strides with a successful and rapid campaign.

An agreement between the Israeli government and Pfizer provided for the transmission of vaccination data as part of vaccine deliveries. The country is thus considered a model country for the analysis of vaccination data.

WEEKLY FEATURE : TRUEMONEY PHILIPPINES BUCKS THE COVID-19 CHALLENGE