Unpublished study: BioNTech vaccine could protect against infection

Berlin – According to an unpublished publication, the corona vaccine from BioNTech / Pfizer could also protect against infection with the pathogen. So far there has only been knowledge to what extent the agent protects against diseases.  The  active ingredient is “highly effective” in preventing infections with SARS-CoV-2, according to a manuscript for a study by the two manufacturers together with the Israeli Ministry of Health.

However, the study authors also write that their approach could lead to the effect of vaccination on infections being overestimated.  The  study results are difficult to assess.  The  manuscript was leaked to Israeli journalists from the internet portal “ynet” and has not been officially published, neither on a preprint server nor in a specialist journal that has been examined by experts. BioNTech did not want to comment on the document when asked on Sunday.  The  S manuscript is based on Israeli health records of vaccinated and unvaccinated people.

 The  first study only focused on protection against illness

So far it was unclear to what extent the vaccine from Biontech / Pfizer prevents infections with the coronavirus. Because the first results of a large clinical investigation with more than 40,000 test persons did not refer to infections, but to diseases.

According to this early study, the BioNTech vaccine was 95 percent effective on disease. This means that 95 percent fewer diseases occurred among the subjects in a vaccinated group than among those in a control group. In order to get the pandemic under control as quickly as possible, not only diseases should be prevented, but chains of infection should also be broken. (WHAT, dpa)