HMOs are pleased that the Ministry of Health will allow them to administer the vaccination campaign, but estimate that the vaccines will be given at major branches • The concern: public non-response
HMOs are preparing to administer corona vaccines and recently held a first discussion in the Ministry of Health on this issue.
Dr. Elrai Price: "We are at the beginning of the third wave - 50% of the morbidity in the general sector" // Photo: GPO
The funds initially feared that the ministry would opt for a centralized policy, as it did in tests for Corona in the first wave, but it appears that the funds are the ones responsible for vaccinating the public.
Gil Weinstein, Deputy Director General of the National HMO, described the conduct of the discussion: "We were asked to make a preliminary preparation, and so we do.
Everything is still subject to change, but from what is known the operation will be divided into two.
Bringing the vaccines to the health insurance funds is the responsibility of the Ministry of Health, which involves keeping the vaccine at low temperatures.
The responsibility will then be transferred to the HMOs - we will keep the vaccine for as many days as possible and summon patients accordingly.
We hope there will be a response.
We would have preferred to be vaccinated in each of our hundreds of branches, but I estimate that the vaccine will only be given in a few dozen main branches.
We can give the vaccine via mobile to neighborhoods and localities or in designated complexes. "
Weinstein estimates that the fund will be ready to give the corona vaccines by the end of the month.
He attributes the success of the operation to the public response: "We know how to give thousands of vaccines a day, but the response of the population is not a simple question mark. Even with the flu, not everyone is vaccinated despite information and increased awareness.
Clalit stated that "prior to the arrival of corona vaccines in Israel, a Clalit preparation team has been set up to take part in discussions on the subject with the Ministry of Health. The discussions focus on how and where the vaccines will be given - if given ".
Scenario scenarios
A report by the IDF Intelligence Division, published yesterday, attempts to map and characterize the causes of the success or failure of the vaccination campaign against the corona virus in Israel.
"The success of the vaccination campaign may allow a return to the routine of life, but depends on public responsiveness," the report said in words similar to those of senior HMOs. "It is right to prepare for the first months," the authors caution,
They draw four possible scenarios.
The first is the most ideal, according to which the vaccine will be effective for all ages and a high rate from the public will be vaccinated quickly.
In such a situation, it will be possible to remove the restrictions and return to routine about a month after reaching the immunization of 80 percent of the population.
Another, gradual scenario assumes that the vaccine will be effective, but the number of doses will be limited so that it will be given first to populations at risk.
In such a situation it will be necessary to maintain some of the restrictions until a high proportion of the population is vaccinated.
According to them, "the population vaccine is expected to be graded and spread over about a year."
A less optimistic scenario is one in which the vaccine is ineffective or has a partial public response.
The most severe, though unlikely, scenario assumes that the vaccine will be ineffective or unapproved, and that public response will be low.