Pfizer’s effectiveness falls to 64 per cent in Israel

The new figure refers to the period between June 6 and July 3, and is significantly lower than the effectiveness rate of 94.3 per cent measured between May 2 and June 5

The effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine against Covid-19 has dropped to 64 per cent in Israel, the country’s Ministry of Health said.

The new figure refers to the period between June 6 and July 3, and it is significantly lower than the effectiveness rate of 94.3 per cent in protection against infection, measured between May 2 and June 5, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying on Monday.

It noted that the decline was observed along with the spread of the Delta variant in Israel.

However, the effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing hospitalisations and severe Coronavirus disease is currently estimated at 93 per cent in Israel.

The Ministry currently promotes the administration of a third vaccine dose to those who have suffered a functional decline in the immune system, but there is currently no decision to launch a third dose campaign for the entire population.

Since the start of the vaccination campaign in Israel on December 20, 2020, over 5.65 million people, or 60.6 per cent of the population, have received the first dose of the vaccine, while 5.18 million have received the second dose.

UK to be free of Covid curbs from July 19

Meanwhile, most Coronavirus restrictions are set to end on July 19 as part of the final step of England’s roadmap out of the lockdown, British PM Boris Johnson confirmed on Monday. Face masks and distancing rules will no longer be legally required in England from July 19, Johnson told a news conference at Downing Street. The rule of six inside private homes will also be removed and work-from-home guidance will be scrapped, said the Prime Minister.

Also Read: ‘Third wave peak will not exceed 2nd wave cases’

S Korea reports 81 ‘breakthrough’ cases

South Korea reported a total of 81 “breakthrough” Covid-19 cases, which refer to people who were infected after having been fully vaccinated, health authorities said on Tuesday. The number of the fully vaccinated people who were infected with Covid has reached 81, according to the Central Disease Control Headquarters. 

70% of Ireland’s cases are of Delta variants

The Delta variant now accounts for 70 per cent of the confirmed cases in Ireland, said a senior public health official. Tony Holohan, chief medical officer of the Irish Department of Health, made the remarks on Monday evening. The statement said that 365 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 were reported in Ireland on Monday.

Israel to send 7L vax doses to S Korea

Israel is sending 700,000 Coronavirus vaccine doses to South Korea in exchange for a future shipment of the jabs, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Tuesday. In a statement, Bennett said Israel will transfer the Pfizer vaccines to South Korea in an effort to inoculate more of the Asian nation’s citizens this month. South Korea will return the same number of doses to Israel as soon as September, he added. “This is a win-win deal,” Bennett said in his statement. 

Germany to ease travel restrictions

Germany is easing strict restrictions on travel from Britain, Portugal and some other countries that were imposed because of the rise of the more contagious Delta virus variant. Germany’s national disease control centre, the Robert Koch Institute, said late on Monday that Britain, Portugal, Russia, India and Nepal will be removed from the country’s highest risk category of “virus variant areas”. 

Also Read: Will Bhiwandi’s looms ever get going again?

1,39,199
No. of new cases reported globally in the past 24 hours

18,42,85,579
Total no. of cases worldwide

39,87,062
Total no. of deaths worldwide

Source: WHO/Johns Hopkins

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