Because of the mutation: Vaccination in a third dose as well? | Israel today

Due to reports of poor efficacy against the South African mutation, the head of the Public Health Service, Dr. Sharon Elrai Price, said: "It will take us several weeks to get answers."

• Corona vaccine

  Photography: 

  Gideon Markovich

On the way to a third course?

The head of the public health service, Dr. Sharon Elrai Price, claimed today (Thursday) that this option will be considered according to the degree of effectiveness of the vaccine against corona in the South African strain.

"We need to understand if there is a chance of a less effective vaccine in the South African strain. Growing the virus in order to test it, it will take us a few weeks to get answers," Dr. Elrai Price said in an interview with the GLC. 

Pfizer reported tonight that according to a preliminary study its vaccine is effective against three strains of the South African mutation, but apparently the vaccine’s effectiveness is declining slightly.

Modern also reported that according to a preliminary study, its vaccine is effective against British and South African mutations.

In the latter case, however, there seems to be some degree of decrease in efficiency.

According to data this morning, so far in Israel 2,849,000 people have been vaccinated, out of about 1.5 million we received the second dose.

The Ministry of Health yesterday instructed the health funds to open the vaccines to those aged 35 and over. 

Dr. Elrai Price also referred to the morbidity among the vaccinated. “As of yesterday, 63 people who had received the second dose of the vaccine had contracted corona, of whom 5 were hospitalized in critical and critical condition.

It's only 0.0014%, "said Dr. Elrai Price.

The head of the public health service also addressed the issue of extending the quarantine and warned: "The price of not extending the quarantine will be more dead, this is the equation. When we open things up and there is an increase in infections, a certain percentage get seriously ill - that's what happens."