Third Pfizer vaccine shot 86 per cent effective for those over 60, Israeli healthcare provider said
The third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine was 86 per cent effective for people over 60 years old, Israeli health care provider Maccabi said on Wednesday.
Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine on the production line. Credit: Mike Mareen/Shutterstock
Dr Anat Ekka Zohar of Maccabi said the third dose “has again proved its effectiveness,” and had “demonstrated protection (against) the Delta variant,” reported Reuters.
Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) Maccabi provides health coverage for around 25 per cent of Israel’s population of 9.3 million people. The HMO compared results from 149,144 people over 60 who received their third shot at least a week ago to 675,630 who received two shots from January to February.
Only 37 people tested positive after having the third shot compared to 1,064 who tested positive after only two doses, according to Maccabi.
Pfizer has said its vaccine’s effectiveness lessens over time and that a third dose can boost the antibodies for the virus. So far, 1.1 million Israelis over 50 have received the third shot.
Israeli Health Ministry data on Wednesday showed that per 100,000 people, there are 172 serious cases from unvaccinated people over 60 compared to 21 serious cases from the vaccinated, according to the report.
