Two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine provide more than 95 per cent protection against infection, hospital admission, severe illness and death, including among the elderly.
That is the findings of the first national-level assessment of the vaccine's effectiveness in Israel, published in The Lancet.
The analysis, based on national data, also reveals the public health benefits of a national vaccination programme, found to be the main cause of a decline in Covid-19 infections in Israel.
While the findings are encouraging, the authors stress that challenges to controlling the pandemic remain.
The period of immunity to Covid-19, brought on by infection and immunisation, remains unknown, and it is possible that vaccine-resistant variants could emerge.
And achieving herd immunity will require a continued increase of vaccination coverage worldwide.
“As the country with the highest proportion of its population vaccinated against Covid-19, Israel provides a unique real-world opportunity to determine the effectiveness of the vaccine and to observe wider effects of the vaccination programme on public health,” said lead author Dr Sharon Alroy-Preis, of the Israeli Ministry of Health.
“Until this point, no country in the world had described the national public health impact of a nationwide Covid-19 vaccination campaign.
“These insights are hugely important because, while there are still some considerable challenges to overcome, they offer real hope that Covid-19 vaccination will eventually enable us to control the pandemic.”
The analysis said the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was highly effective against Covid-19 for all people over the age of 16 years.
It provided 95.3 per cent protection against infection and 96.7 per cent against death seven days after the second dose.
Protection against symptomatic and asymptomatic infection was 97.0 per cent and 91.5 per cent.
The vaccine is also highly effective for preventing the need for hospital treatment and severe illness, at 97.2 per cent and 97.5 per cent.
By 14 days after vaccination, protection from a second dose increased to 96.5 per cent against infection, 98 per cent against the need for hospital treatment and 98.1 per cent against death.
Protection among the elderly were as strong as those for younger people.
The analysis indicated that people over 85 years had 94.1 per cent protection against infection, 96.9 per cent against the need for hospital treatment and 97 per cent against death, seven days after the second dose.
People aged 16 to 44 years had 96.1 per cent protection against infection, 98.1 per cent against the need for hospital treatment and 100 per cent against death.
Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
