A recent study from Israel reported a dramatic drop in the efficacy rate of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for fully vaccinated people, down to around 64%.
Health experts who talked to the Arizona Daily Star warned that data from the Israeli study should not be considered in isolation.
Both LaBaer and Gerald said that other studies are still showing good effectiveness against the delta variant, from 80% or more. “It’s kind of a cup half full, cup half empty,” LaBaer said.
Ultimately, experts like Gerald are not concerned about mild breakthrough cases. The number of breakthrough cases that result in hospitalizations and deaths are far more important.
All COVID-19 vaccines available in the U.S. have been highly effective for preventing COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths, even against the Delta variant.
Concern, but
not alarm
While health experts are not alarmed by the delta variant, they are concerned by it.
It’s much more transmissible than any other variant, so it spreads quicker.
And it’s more aggressive. It can make you sicker. A recent study from China found delta cases had much higher viral loads.
While concern over the delta variant has been heightened as details from more studies have come to light, LaBaer said it would be premature to call the Israeli or Chinese studies “red flags.”