For the first time: the vaccine will only be given to risk groups • A record number of vaccine doses this year will allow about 44% of the population to be vaccinated • Prof. Hezi Levy: "We will update the priority later"
People aged 65 and over, patients with chronic diseases (with an emphasis on obesity), patients with mental illness and medical staff - these are the first four risk groups to be vaccinated against influenza.
As we reported in "Israel Today", the director general of the Ministry of Health, Prof. Hezi Levy, managed to purchase a record number of 4 million vaccine doses, twice as many as in previous years. For the first time this year, HMOs are required not to vaccinate non-risk groups.
Other risk groups, in order of importance are: infants from the age of six months to the age of two, pregnant women (whose vaccine also protects their infants up to the age of six months), for the first time this year also caregivers of the elderly or disabled at home (benefits and benefits) are a risk group. the flu.
Other risk groups are foreign workers caring for the elderly, special education students in first and sixth grades, residents and employees of welfare institutions, prison guards and prisoners in the IPS, second, third, and fourth graders who are vaccinated in schools, two-year-old children Up to 6 to be vaccinated at the HMOs (and for them a live attenuated vaccine is recommended given by nasal spray, without injection).
Other groups are first, fifth, and sixth graders (who are not currently scheduled to receive the vaccine in schools as part of the vaccination program, and the Ministry of Health will update later on where they will be vaccinated) and later 55- to 64-year-olds, who are not chronically ill.
"In the coming winter, Israel is expected to deal with a parallel outbreak of corona and influenza. The severity of influenza morbidity cannot be expected, and we are prepared for the high demand for vaccines," notes Prof. Hezi Levy, director general of the Ministry of Health.
He mentions that about 2 million vaccine doses are vaccinated in Israel every year, and last winter 2.2 million doses were given.
An amount that is sufficient to vaccinate about 20% of the population.
"This year, the Ministry of Health may allow the vaccination of additional groups as well as update the priority. A person who is not in a priority group should not be vaccinated," the CEO points out.
Clalit Health Services has already received 130,000 vaccine doses and will begin vaccinating people confined to their homes in the first stage.
Maccabi received 75,000 vaccine doses and plans to vaccinate patients also in the open air, in community centers or in the afternoon, as part of an attempt to prevent crowds. At Leumit, they received 17,000 vaccine doses, and invited people to be vaccinated via text messages, in order to focus on at-risk groups.