Israel begins Covid booster shots for 50+
Israelis aged 50 and over began receiving vaccine booster shots against the corona virus today as part of a government bid to stem spiking infections driven by the Delta variant.
The government announced yesterday that it was offering third shots to people aged over 50, two weeks after launching a campaign to give the elderly booster jabs.Israel was one of the first countries to launch a vaccination drive in mid-December via an agreement with Pfizer to obtain millions of paid doses in exchange for sharing data on their effectiveness.
"Starting this morning, people between the ages of 50 and 60 have been vaccinated at Clalit clinics across the country," said Ran Balicer, chief innovation officer at Clalit Health Services and the chairman of Israel's national expert panel on Covid-19. "We have hope this vaccination campaign will help reduce the impact of the ensuing surge of Covid-19 infections on the severe illness among the groups that are most vulnerable," he told AFP.
The World Health Organization has called for a moratorium on booster shots until at least the end of September in order to address inequalities in global dose distribution.
"Members of the team worked diligently, professionally and thoroughly, and reached the conclusion that the third inoculation for people aged 50 and over, and for medical teams, is effective and correct," Bennett said in yesterday's statement. Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz, 56, said he planned to get his booster shot today. Public health expert Nadav Davidovitch, who advises the government's pandemic response team, said rising cases were adding a sense of urgency to the campaign to vaccinate all Israelis.
