New real-world evidence for Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine 12th March 2021 New real-world evidence gathered by the Israel Ministry of Health (MoH) suggests that Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine ‘dramatically’ lowers the incidence rates of COVID-19 in fully vaccinated individuals. The latest analysis from Israel’s MoH found that protection is stronger two weeks after the second dose of the vaccine – effectiveness was at least 97% in preventing symptomatic disease, severe/critical disease and death. The findings from the analysis come from de-identified aggregate surveillance data collected between 17 January and 6 March 2021, when the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was the only available jab in Israel and when the UK or B.1.1.7 variant was the dominant strain.