I hope this is wrong! 

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-severe-covid-cases-could-reach-400-by-mid-august-researchers-warn/?fbclid=IwAR25Z5E_F9ci5e_dNJL8S88r1NRx33Cst4WFZI5ddN_5iZksAcqyUbQ8Wko - https://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-severe-covid-cases-could-reach-400-by-mid-august-researchers-warn/?fbclid=IwAR25Z5E_F9ci5e_dNJL8S88r1NRx33Cst4WFZI5ddN_5iZksAcqyUbQ8Wko

Vaccine effectiveness in preventing serious illness falls to 80% – Israeli study

A study by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem published on Tuesday indicated that the Pfizer vaccine’s effectiveness in preventing serious illness has fallen to 80 percent.

The study, which has been presented to the government, also predicted that the tally of serious COVID-19 cases in Israel could reach as high as 400, from a current 145, in less than three weeks if no steps are taken to rein in infections.

More than 2,000 Israelis tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, a high not seen since mid-March. The number of serious cases has more than doubled over the past week.

The Hebrew University study warned that numbers of serious cases and patients on ventilators have been rising at a similar rate to that observed in July 2020.

“The wave of infections last July was stopped thanks to restrictions imposed in the second half of July,” the researchers wrote. “No such steps were taken this year, therefore no similar stop is expected in the near future.”

The study suggested that the effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing serious illness has dropped to 80 percent (compared to over 90% before the appearance of the ultra-infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus).

It indicated the shots are 90% effective in preventing deaths.

“The vaccine’s effectiveness is significantly lower than the effectiveness observed in March,” the researchers wrote.

In this March 2021 photo provided by Pfizer, vials of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine are prepared for packaging at the company’s facility in Puurs, Belgium. (Pfizer via AP)

Recent data https://www.timesofisrael.com/hmo-those-who-inoculated-early-twice-as-likely-to-catch-covid-as-later-adopters/ - “We looked at tens of thousands of people tested in the month of June, alongside data on how long had passed since their second shot, and found that those vaccinated early were more likely to test positive,” Dr. Yotam Shenhar, who headed the research, told The Times of Israel last week.

Data released by the Health Ministry last week suggested that people vaccinated in January have just 16% protection against infection now, while in those vaccinated in April, the effectiveness was at 75%.

Doctors note that figures may not only reflect time that has passed since vaccination, but also a bias according to which those who vaccinated early were often people with health conditions and who are more prone to infection, such as the elderly.

Some analysts have https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-study-claims-major-drop-in-vaccine-protection-experts-dont-believe-it/ -  

During a visit to a retirement home in Jerusalem on Tuesday, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Israel could soon https://www.timesofisrael.com/bennett-says-israel-is-very-close-to-approving-a-covid-booster-shot/ -  

 “We’re on top of it, believe me,” said Bennett. “For at least a month [we’ve been working on] things that need to come to fruition. We’re very close. The less we talk about it, the greater chance it’ll happen. I’m on it.”

The prime minister did not specify which populations would receive the booster, but recent media reports have indicated government discussions have focused on administering it to the elderly.

Israel began https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-world-first-covid-boosters-rolled-out-for-some-at-risk-israelis/ -  

Talk about screwed ..... We are all going to be screwed if the vaccine is not as effective.  

But still a 80% reduction of risk is still a factor high enough to mean getting a vaccination (unless medically contra-indicated) makes perfect sense.  

ME163 wrote: Talk about screwed ..... We are all going to be screwed if the vaccine is not as effective.

It's time for boosters - that would take care of a big part of it.  Assuming a smaller percentage would get boosters it wouldn't be a silver bullet, but if we can increase initial vaccinations, and give the Jan/Feb/Mar folks boosters, we'd really reduce the number of hosts-in-waiting.  

My Dad and Stepmom were vaccinated in January, I was vaccinated in March/April. A booster for them now and they'd be back in a much safer zone. One for me next month and I'd feel a TON better.

I guess we'll see if/how quickly they'll move on the boosters...  

Dr John Campbell was saying recently that in Israel they used the pfizer vaccine and they only did a 3-4 week window between the first and second doses, whereas in the UK it was a 10-12 week window and it's now suspected that that gap is critical for efficacy of the vaccinations. The longer window is better.

Finland has just allowed the reduction from 12 weeks to 8 weeks between jabs.  If I remember correctly, they said that 8 weeks is about the optimum, but before this they were going for maximum coverage of people with their first dose.   

The speeding up of the second dose is in part due to the current spread of the Delta variant in the country (with rising case numbers), and the fact that vaccine supplies are now adequate to allow for a faster coverage.

ps. my wife and I both had to wait 12 weeks.