Research on the effectiveness of the corona vaccine for youth in Israel: 90% in the prevention of infection, 93% in the prevention of symptomatic disease

The Clalit Research Institute and Harvard University examined data from about 100,000 Israeli youths who were vaccinated against a similar group who were not vaccinated. Prof. Ran Blitzer: “The results unequivocally show that the vaccine is very effective in preventing infection with the Delta strain and in preventing symptomatic disease.” A study conducted in the US drew identical conclusions

The effectiveness of the Corona vaccine among adolescents is clear: A joint study by the Clalit Research Institute and Harvard University, which examined Israeli girls and adolescents aged 12 to 18, indicates a 90% efficacy in preventing infections and a 93% efficacy in preventing symptomatic disease. No data have been published regarding the effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing hospitalizations of adolescents

The study was conducted during the fourth wave of the corona, between June 8 and September 14. It was based on data from 94,354 Israeli youths aged 12 to 18 who were vaccinated, compared with the same number of unvaccinated, although during the study about 14,000 boys from the second group were vaccinated.

With the outbreak of the fourth wave, due to the Delta strain, the question arose as to whether the vaccine used in Israel also provides adequate protection against this strain, as it protects against the alpha strain, “says Prof. Ran Blitzer, head of Clalit’s Innovation Division. , Evaluating the effectiveness of the vaccine in which it could provide an answer to the question. The results of the study unequivocally show that the vaccine is most effective in preventing Delta strain infection and in preventing symptomatic disease one week after receiving two doses.

“The results of the study show that the potency of the Delta strain is very similar to that observed in young adults against the alpha strain in the past. These findings provide important and well-founded information for parents who are undecided about vaccinating their adolescent children.”

Yesterday (Wednesday) were findings from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which indicated a similar effectiveness of the vaccine among the same age group in the United States. This study also addresses the effectiveness of Pfizer vaccines in preventing hospitalizations — 93%.
The health system hopes that these data will encourage teenagers to get vaccinated, as it turns out that many have not yet done so: 32% of 12- to 15-year-olds have not been vaccinated, and 13% of 16- to 18-year-olds have avoided it.