Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

April 21, 2021

COVID-19 Dynamics after a National Immunization Program in Israel

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  • Two months after the initiation of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccination (Pfizer-BioNTech) campaign in Israel, there were declines in the number of cases (by 77%), percentage of positive tests (by 45%), number of hospitalizations (by 68%), and number of severe hospitalizations (by 67%) compared to peak values. The authors suggest that these results are likely driven by the vaccination program since declines were greater in individuals over 60 (who were prioritized to receive the vaccine earlier), and the declines in the clinical measures occurred only after >50% of the population in a given age group had been vaccinated or recovered. In addition, the authors note that there was not a similar decline in number of cases and hospitalizations among older adults during the previous lockdown (September 18 – October 18, 2020).

Rossman et al. (Apr 19, 2021). COVID-19 Dynamics after a National Immunization Program in Israel. Nature Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-021-01337-2