Daily new COVID-19 cases in Israel approach January peak

Burning Bush

There are about 200 countries on Earth.

Of those 200, Israel has the most aggressive vaccination program with many citizens already on their 3rd shot.

Yet, they are experiencing record infections.

Shouldn't it be the other way around?

The fact that only 63% of the population are fully vaccinated shows that, in fact, Israel have not had the most aggressive vaccination campaign. They are way down the list. They started off well, but started stalling in early April.

Best not to make assumptions.

Dobraye ootra

Yet, they are experiencing record infections.

You missed this part

 A disproportionate number of people hospitalized in serious condition are unvaccinated. And morbidity remains lower than at Israel's peak.

In simple English it means the unvaccinated are the ones in a serious condition, Deaths are lower!

Seems that the hastily designed and approved vaccine may not be the panacea we were told? Sure serious infections mitigated by it but that hasnt stopped media and authorities ongoing focus on infection rates with the concomitant panic and ongoing draconian restrictions. Until we get over the view that this is a highly deadly virus and start to try to manage life with it the world will continue to suffer

@Burning Bush

The pro vaccine crowd will stay in denial for quite a while.

Until we get over the view that this is a highly deadly virus and start to try to manage life with it the world will continue to suffer

Enlightening, I have never read such wise words anywhere.

The virus may have killed 5 million people, but it is not deadly . After all death is nothing but a state of mind.

And body too.

Guess those mass vaccinations aren't doing the job....

Wakarimasen

Sure serious infections mitigated by it but that hasnt stopped media and authorities ongoing focus on infection rates with the concomitant panic and ongoing draconian restrictions.

Infection rates are significantly reduced for the vaccinated and if the vaccination rates are increased, herd immunity sets in. So the restrictions aren't draconian, but sensible.

Until we get over the view that this is a highly deadly virus and start to try to manage life with it the world will continue to suffer

Yes. That's what the vaccines allow us to do - manage life with the virus. Without the vaccines, you won't learn to live with the virus, but rather die with it.

Agree. Vaccines are one tool that will help. Some of the others are less obviously effective but continue to be used based on infection rates. As for the number of deaths, yes tragic, but still a pretty small percentage of those infected or world population. Set against which look at the damage done thru a whole range of "measures" that continue to be taken by governments around the world.... It is the poorest in society who are hurt most by those measures.

How come neighboring Syria, where less than 1% of the population is fully vaccinated because of sanctions, is not experiencing the same record outbreak as highly vaccinated Israel?

It is.

How come neighboring Syria, where less than 1% of the population is fully vaccinated because of sanctions, is not experiencing the same record outbreak as highly vaccinated Israel?

Not testing is not the same as not having cases, this is well known problem in Syria, where the number of tests is extraordinarily low, that makes the comparison impossible, because Israel do not share this problem.

In fact the majority of countries reporting huge "Delta" outbreaks also have higher than average vaccination rates.

More like the countries that have better vigilance systems also have better vaccination systems, and from those, the ones that have been more heavily affected are also those that can justify more easily buying and deploying the vaccines.

Are "fully vaccinated" individuals actually serving as an easy vector for the virus to spread?

No, scientifically this can be proved as false. the Delta variant is making cases soar all over the world, vaccinated population or not. But those places with higher vaccinated numbers are doing much better with less deaths and complications.

Surely the comparison with Syria should look at rates of death or hospitalisation rather than infections? Although I guess Syria is such a mess that any data gathering is pretty sketchy

How come neighboring Syria, where less than 1% of the population is fully vaccinated because of sanctions, is not experiencing the same record outbreak as highly vaccinated Israel?

Interesno.

You know N.Korea has no COVID cases, at least that’s what lil Kim says. I wouldn’t trust the information coming out of brutal dictatorships!!!

Vaccines certainly help but they are not the silver bullet we were promised. Much like the flu vaccine isn't. So we carry on with lockdowns and mask wearing and other dumb restrictions despite vaccination rates climbing. Unless we can put this irrational fear of Covid behind us, this will go on and on.

These Israeli COVID-19 Graphs Prove Pfizer Vaccine Works

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-covid-graphs-prove-vaccines-works-delta-pfizer-1.10101640

Dobraye ootra 

Yet, they are experiencing record infections.

You missed this part 

 A disproportionate number of people hospitalized in serious condition are unvaccinated. And morbidity remains lower than at Israel's peak.

In simple English it means the unvaccinated are the ones in a serious condition, Deaths are lower!

@ulysses -

Thats not true at all. A simple look at the 7 day moving average of deaths in Israel shows a current spike since the start of August with no signs of slowing down. Lower than the February peak, yes, but deaths lag, they are rising, and who knows when this will peak.

The vaccines are failing.

Meanwhile in Sweden, the rolling 7 day death rate is ZERO.

Yes, you heard that correctly; Zero.

Vaccines certainly help but they are not the silver bullet we were promised.

No one promised me anything. I do not know which 'we' is being referred to. I have never believed in silver bullets. But I have read what medical scientists reported and got two Pfizer jabs, believing if I did get Covid I would not get as sick as I would get without having got the jabs.

I recently got an email from a distant relative asking for my prayers, whatever that means:

My dear friend is in the hospital fighting COVID. Her oxygen levels dropped overnight. She has not been vaccinated.

I know just another anecdote,

but there are so many similar stories, and, no surprise, the person is an Evangelical who'd been advised by church elders not to get vaccinated, telling her don't let the government tell you what you should do with your body. Rich indeed, While the elders were telling her what to do with her body. I am rapidly losing any sympathy I might have had with true believers who refuse to heed health cautions and suffer consequences, especially the anti-science variety of true believer.

The denialism is in full force, but Israeli and Swedish statistics keep rearing their ugly head.

The CDC Director Rochelle Walensky herself just last week referenced Israel saying vaccine effectiveness is waning and vaccinated people may be at an increased risk for developing severe infection.

Interesting sidebar is the fate of the Palestine territory with less than 10% vaccinated and only recently.

Daily new cases are in the dozens and continue to fall.

To quote Malcolm X, "You've been hoodwinked"

Sweden took the prudent, adult path from the start and are reaping the benefits.

But the flock stare at their shoes mumbling that everything is ok...

Thats not true at all. A simple look at the 7 day moving average of deaths in Israel shows a current spike since the start of August with no signs of slowing down. Lower than the February peak, yes, but deaths lag, they are rising, and who knows when this will peak.

A spike of around 20 deaths per day compared with close to 100 on the previous wave, even with case daily averages above 8000 both times, this completely contradicts your point with a reduction of 80% of the deaths. If you take in account that unvaccinated people are 8 times more likely to have serious disease and die (according to the government's data) that means the vaccines are hugely successful at preventing serious health problems and death, because only one ninth of the 20% of non-prevented deaths would be in vaccinated people.

Sweden has a fraction of the cases, and above half of the population fully vaccinated, if anything its case would ALSO prove that vaccines as extremely effective at preventing serious complications and deaths. It is simply more effective if you have less cases to begin with. (Hopefully something they can maintain their cases have recently increased)

A spike of around 20 deaths per day compared with close to 100 on the previous wave

acknowledges ongoing Israeli spike and deaths lagging. check.

completely meaningless word salad afterwards. check

Sweden has a fraction of the cases, and above half of the population fully vaccinated, if anything its case would ALSO prove that vaccines as extremely effective at preventing serious complications and deaths. It is simply more effective if you have less cases to begin with. (Hopefully something they can maintain their cases have recently increased)

Totally ignores herd immunity,Sweden's stated goal from the start and the fact they allowed the virus to spread through the populace early on while protecting their elderly. check.

Sure doesn't look like vaccinations worked in Israel. India is looking pretty good right now...

You think Japan can learn a thing or two here?

Vaccines certainly help but they are not the silver bullet we were promised.

Who promised you a silver bullet? In everything I've read over the past year and a half, and I read a lot, I haven't seen anyone claim that vaccines would be a "magic bullet" or some kind of vaccine stopper that would end the pandemic.

In fact, the people who actually know what they're talking about have said from the star that dealing with covid would require a multi-pronged approach:

1: Repurpose existing, tested medicines for treatment

2.: Use antibodies from infected and healed people

3: Develop vaccines for prevention

4: Social distancing and masks

I haven't seen anyone of any credibility claim there would be a single solution that would end the pandemic.

So I'm curious what you were reading that told you this, and I'd like to follow up to see what those authors think now.

acknowledges ongoing Israeli spike and deaths lagging. check.

Read again, a comparison of the deaths on the same point of an increase of cases gives four times less, and only one eight of those being in unvaccinated people, this again completely contradicts your supposed point. Delta variant is causing more cases all around the world, but the countries with better vaccination programs see a much smaller increase of deaths, so vaccines have demonstrated value, even if you try very hard to misrepresent the situation.

Totally ignores herd immunity,Sweden's stated goal from the start and the fact they allowed the virus to spread through the populace early on while protecting their elderly. 

This approach in Sweden was quickly reversed and it is recognized as a mistake by their own health authorities, sacrificing much more lives than the countries that can be more closely compared is not something that can be justified, much less considered "better". There is no reason to think the country is even close to be in herd immunity, specially with the recent elevation of cases, which would not be possible if the country was already immune.

Sure doesn't look like vaccinations worked in Israel.

On the contrary, preventing most of the deaths of vaccinated cases is a huge proof of efficacy, it would take extreme denial of reality to think avoiding most of the deaths is no benefit.

Sweden took the prudent, adult path from the start and are reaping the benefits.

58% of their population is fully vaccinated, so sure that is a prudent path.

However the cases amongst the unvaccinated are increasing, they are at almost 1000 new cases per day, I guess you forgot that part.

And death rate depends on demographic too, it is higher amongst certain groups.

PT and Stranger

I think what is being referred to are the numerous speeches and other utterances from many world leaders and health experts saying that if you get vaccinated you will be protected from Covid. I am not sure I ever heard the word "immune" being used but certainly the sense was that it would substantially reduce the risk of getting it. And certainly we were told that vaccines would replace the other draconian restrictions like lockdowns and travel bans and the like.

Which is not happening.

A spike of around 20 deaths per day compared with close to 100 on the previous wave

acknowledges ongoing Israeli spike and deaths lagging. check.

completely meaningless word salad afterwards. check

Some are not as strong at reading comprehension as they would like to believe.