A new study looking at rates of COVID-19 patients requiring mechanical ventilation shows the effectiveness and safety of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine – which is already protecting nearly five million Israelis – in preventing severe cases of COVID-19 among those 70 and older at the national level. 

The study was conducted by researchers at Ben-Gurion University (BGU) of the Negev, Maccabi Healthcare Services and Tel Aviv University (TAU) . Their findings have just been published in the US Centers for Disease Control’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). The article was entitled “Reduction in COVID-19 Patients Requiring Mechanical Ventilation Following Implementation of a National COVID-19 Vaccination Program – Israel.” 

The availability of COVID-19 vaccines offers a chance to fight the effects of the global pandemic. Achieving high vaccination coverage through intensive vaccination campaigns has the potential to substantially reduce COVID-19–associated morbidity and mortality, the researchers said. Clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in preventing mild and severe COVID-19 in a controlled setting. But clinical trials are not designed to assess the population impact of vaccination in a real-world setting.

The first case of COVID-19 in Israel was reported in February 2020. A year later, some 700,000 cases of infection and 5,200 deaths in its population of nine million had been reported. Non-pharmaceutical interventions have included three national lockdown periods, multiple rounds of school closures, restrictions on commercial activity and travel, and requirements of wearing mask everywhere outside the home. 

Less than three months ago, Israel initiated a national vaccination program against COVID-19, giving priority to residents 60 years and older, healthcare workers and people with chronic conditions that increase risk for infection or severe disease. 

By February 9 of this year, 3.5 million people in Israel (40% of the population) had received one dose of the vaccine during a rapid national vaccination campaign and 2.2 million people had received a second dose. Today, more than half of the population over 16 are protected. 

Two-dose COVID-19 vaccination coverage among people aged 70 years or older was 84.3% and those less than 50 years old was 9.9%.The researchers looked at population-level data on the number of COVID-19 patients needing mechanical ventilation by age group as a way of assessing the impact of vaccination on severe disease. 

Specifically, the study – based on Health Ministry reports – focused on determining the ratio of the daily number of active COVID-19 patients requiring mechanical ventilatory support, as a ratio between two age groups with different rates of vaccination. They found that the ratio of COVID-19 patients over 70 years old to patients under 50 years old requiring mechanical ventilation decreased by 67% as compared with rates before the vaccination program. From October-December 2020, the ratio was almost 6 to 1, whereas in February 2021, the ratio dropped to almost 1.5 to 1. 

 “This study provides preliminary evidence at the population level for the reduction in risk for severe COVID-19, as manifested by the need for mechanical ventilation, after vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. This real-world data adds evidence that receipt of COVID-19 vaccines by eligible persons can potentially reduce the occurrence of severe disease,” declared BGU MD-PhD student Ehud Rinott of the public health department in the Faculty of Health Sciences. Additional researchers include Dr. Yair Lewis from Maccabi Healthcare Services and Dr. Ilan Youngster of TAU, who is a consultant to Mybiotix Ltd.

Many countries, they concluded, are now vaccinating their populations against Coronavirus. “The findings from this study provide preliminary but important evidence of the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing severe cases of COVID-19 at the national level in Israel. Receipt of COVID-19 vaccines by eligible persons can help limit spread of disease and potentially reduce the occurrence of severe disease.”