A medical worker holds a tray with a bottle of vaccine against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while Israel continues national vaccination action, during the third national blockade against COVID, in Ashdod, Israel, January 4, 2021. REUTERS / Amir Cohen
Israel is planning a second round of vaccination against COVID-19 in six months, by which time it expects children to receive approvals from health regulators, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday.
About 81% of Israeli citizens or residents over the age of 16 – the age group eligible for the Pfizer vaccine (PFE.N) in Israel – received both doses in one of the fastest presentations in the world.
Israel said it plans to give vaccines to children ages 12 to 15 after approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Pfizer and its partner BioNTech (22UAy.DE) requested emergency FDA approval earlier this month for use in that age group. read more
In a televised remark Tuesday, Netanyahu said Israel had agreed with Pfizer and Modern (MRNA.O) to buy another 16 million doses for the country’s 9.3 million residents, adding: “We are preparing for another vaccination campaign in six months . “
“Prepare your shoulders and muscles if you want, and also the children, because we estimate that vaccines for children will be approved by then,” he added.
Inoculation of children and young people is considered a critical step towards achieving herd immunity and taming the pandemic, many experts believe. Pfizer says his vaccine is safe, effective and gives strong reactions to antibodies between the ages of 12 and 15 years. read more
Pfizer’s chief executive said people would “likely” need a third additional cartridge of the drug manufacturer’s two-dose vaccine within 12 months, and he may also need annual injections. read more
Israel counts Palestinians in East Jerusalem and has given vaccines there.
5.2 million Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Islamist Hamas under the control of the Gaza Strip received limited stocks of vaccines provided by Israel, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, the global vaccine distribution scheme COVAX and China. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, about 167,000 received at least one dose.
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