How effective are approved COVID vaccines against new forms of COVID-19? A preliminary study from Israel appears to suggest the BioNTech-Pfizer jab offers less protection against the Delta variant than previous strains - just 64%. That's a lot lower than other estimates of nearly 90%. Does this change how we fight the pandemic?
The good news is that fully vaccinated people rarely suffer severe effects - even with the Delta variant. And despite rising cases, Israel hasn't seen a death in over two weeks. In Israel, coronvirus case numbers are creeping up again. The country has been roundly praised for its swift vaccination programme, but health officials there are proceeding with caution. With a local study suggesting the BioNTech-Pfizer jab is not as effective against the invading Delta variant as previously thought, younger Israelis are being encouraged to get vaccinated.