Under the title "Pfizer Vaccine and Delta: Study Warns and Reveals Shocking Truth," Sky News Arabia published news about a new study concluding that the effectiveness of the American Pfizer vaccine against the new variant of the coronavirus, Delta, is not as strong as needed. The study relied on alarming figures collected by the Israeli Ministry of Health, as reported by the British newspaper, Daily Mail.
The figures indicate that the vaccine's effectiveness has dropped to 64% against the Delta variant, down from 94% in May before the new strain spread. The data specifically addresses a decline in the vaccine's ability to prevent infection and the symptoms it causes. Israeli ministers described the new data as "concerning," yet the study states that the vaccine still prevents severe cases.
The World Health Organization reports that the Delta variant is present in about 100 countries worldwide, noting that it threatens a new wave of coronavirus, despite a global decline in infection rates. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States, the Delta variant was first identified in India in December 2020.
What makes it frightening compared to other strains is its rapid spread; studies indicate that "the transmissibility of the Delta variant has increased by about 40-60%." Meanwhile, a Pfizer spokesperson declined to comment on the data from Israel but cited other research showing that the antibodies produced by the vaccine still neutralize all variants, including Delta, albeit to a lesser extent, according to Reuters.
