![]() ![]() However, the HMOs were still instructed to focus their efforts on those aged 50 years and older 8. On 4 February, all individuals aged 16 years and older were eligible to receive the vaccine. On 28 January, the vaccination campaign expanded to those aged 35 and older 7. On 21 January, individuals aged 16–18 years were also prioritized for vaccination. The vaccination campaign was further expanded for individuals aged 55 years and older 5 and 40 years 6 and older on 12 January 2021 and 19 January 2021, respectively. During the early phases of the distribution process, individuals considered as being at high risk for COVID-19 were prioritized for vaccination, including individuals older than 60 years, nursing home residents, healthcare workers and individuals with severe comorbidities. ![]() The Israeli health system comprises four health maintenance organizations (HMOs), and vaccinations were widely available, according to a prioritization schedule determined by the Israeli MOH. On 20 December 2020, Israel launched a national COVID-19 vaccination campaign 4, in which BNT162b2 vaccines were administered. ![]() 3), and, after that, an emergency use of the vaccine was also issued by the Israeli Ministry of Health (MOH). On 11 December 2020, the Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization for emergency use of the vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 (ref. ![]() Results from a phase 3 randomized placebo-controlled trial demonstrated that a two-dose regimen in a 21-d interval conferred 95% protection against laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection in individuals 16 years of age or older 2. The BNT162b2 vaccine, developed by BioNTech in cooperation with Pfizer, is a lipid nucleoside-modified RNA encoding the SARS-CoV-2 full-length spike protein 1. Our analysis demonstrates the real-life effect of a national vaccination campaign on the pandemic dynamics.Īn effective and safe vaccination campaign is urgently needed to halt the rapid spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections and the resulting disease, COVID-19. This pattern was not observed in the previous lockdown and was more pronounced in early-vaccinated cities. A larger and earlier decrease in COVID-19 cases and hospitalization was observed in individuals older than 60 years, followed by younger age groups, by the order of vaccination prioritization. To distinguish the possible effects of the vaccination on cases and hospitalizations from other factors, including a third lockdown implemented on 8 January 2021, we performed several comparisons: (1) individuals aged 60 years and older prioritized to receive the vaccine first versus younger age groups (2) the January lockdown versus the September lockdown and (3) early-vaccinated versus late-vaccinated cities. We studied the temporal dynamics of the number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations after the vaccination campaign, which was initiated on 20 December 2020. In this study, we conducted a retrospective analysis of data from the Israeli Ministry of Health collected between 28 August 2020 and 24 February 2021. Studies on the real-life effect of the BNT162b2 vaccine for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention are urgently needed. ![]()
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