Pfizer shot halts severe illness in Israel as delta spreads.

Pfizer Inc.’s vaccine was less effective at keeping people from getting the coronavirus in Israel in recent weeks, but it continues to provide a strong shield against severe covid-19, according to government data. 

The vaccine protected 64% of people against the illness between June 6 and early July, down from a previous 94%. The drop was observed as the delta variant was spreading in Israel, the Health Ministry said.

Its effectiveness at preventing hospitalization fell to 93%, according to the Health Ministry, compared with at least 97% in an earlier government study. 

Pfizer spokeswoman Dervila Keane declined to comment on the data from israel. 

 The evidence so far suggests that the vaccine “will continue to protect against these variants,” she said.