Study finds 81% reduction in hospitalizations among those 65 and older who received booster compared to those who got at least two shots but no omicron booster

The omicron-adapted Covid vaccine booster developed by Pfizer and BioNTech sharply reduced hospitalizations among older patients, Israeli researchers said on Monday, in some of the first evidence of the jab's real-world effectiveness.

Researchers from healthcare provider Clalit, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Sapir College conducted the study, which has not yet been peer reviewed.

It found an 81 percent reduction in hospitalizations among people aged 65 and older who had received the booster against those who had previously received at least two Covid vaccinations, but not the omicron-adapted shot.

The study was carried out from the end of September until mid-December and looked at 622,701 people aged 65 and over who were eligible for the bivalent booster. Among them, 85,314, or 14 percent, had received it.

"Hospitalization due to Covid-19 occurred in 6 bivalent recipients and 297 participants who did not" receive it, the study said. "Death due to Covid-19 occurred in 1 bivalent recipient and 73 participants who did not."

Israel this past September received omicron-adapted vaccines from Pfizer and began its fifth vaccine campaign against the coronavirus, with the priority given to citizens aged 65 or older and other at risk groups, including pregnant women, health workers and teachers. Israel on January 31 will be downgrading Covid to the level of the seasonal flu. The control center for the pandemic will be closed and at this stage, according to the plan, there will no longer be a need for isolation for Covid patients.

Reuters