COVID-19 Case Data in Israel: A Troubling Trend?
Data out of Israel reveals some troubling trends involving this heavily vaccinated population. The daily number of SARS-CoV-2 cases in Israel is increasing, having recorded the highest number on Thursday since March. TrialSite delved into a recent data trove made available by the Israeli government and has found that a majority of those now vaccinated actually, according to the numbers, face as much risk testing positive for the Delta-driven SARS-CoV-2 infection as unvaccinated individuals. Meaning, at this point, the vaccine appears to have a negligible effect on an individual as to whether he/she catches the current strain. Moreover, the data indicates that the current vaccines used (Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca) may have a decreasing effect on reduced hospitalizations and death if one does get infected with the Delta variant. With a majority of vaccinations using the mRNA-based BTN162b2, what are the implications for this trend? What does it mean for the transmission of SARS-CoV-2? Is this a significant trend or can it be explained away? As TrialSite reported recently, Pfizer has moved aggressively to introduce a third booster vaccine for at least the immunocompromised population. The primary regimen actually involved two doses, with one essentially serving as a booster dose. While the Delta variant seems to introduce a considerable challenge, TrialSite asks the question: Is it wise, practical, and scalable to introduce booster doses so soon after a considerably powerful two-dose regimen? Is it wise to consider boosters for a vaccine that is still considered experimental? Will the need for a booster occur each and every time new variants emerge? If so, how can such an approach be scaled around the world—especially in low-and middle-income countries (LIMIC)? Already, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued strong statements about their opposition to a third booster dose given vaccine equity issues—much of the LMIC world isn’t vaccinated. That represents a great majority of people on earth. TrialSite, a media and social network hub dedicated to transparent and accessible research, asks the question: Who among academia, government and industry is monitoring this initiative objectively and candidly with an eye for transparency directed to what should be the correct public health policy and action decisions? Pharmaceutical companies are critically important, but they are also driven by economic considerations—not by choice, but by the very logic of the market system.
First, we start with an introduction to Israel, a nation with just over 9 million people and one of the most vaccinated places on the planet. According to data from Reuters, Israel has administered 10.9 million doses, and given a majority of the population received the two-dose mRNA-based regiment, the estimated total vaccination rate against COVID-19 stands at 60.5% of the country’s total population. According to Fortune, that rate is 65%. These rates would imply that overall infections would wane, particularly in an advanced society driven by stringent public health policy.
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