The unusual approval for the boys' vaccine Israel today

More than 800 15-12 year olds with background illnesses could get vaccinated - even before FDA approval for Pfizer vaccine • Experts: "Drive Carefully"

• The Ministry of Health is in no hurry with the vaccines for children.

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  Gideon Markovich

The Ministry of Health has approved for children aged 15-12 in various medical conditions, and after consultation with a doctor, to receive the vaccine.

These are children who suffer from background diseases that increase the risk of corona complications.

We now reveal that more than 800 such approvals have been issued.

The common medical condition for which approval was given was obesity.

The ministry apparently believed that it was possible to start vaccinating children even before receiving approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and even raised this question for a vote in the epidemic treatment team discussion at the end of March. -.FDA

At the epidemic team discussion this week, it was noted that vaccinating children in this age range is "essential for the protection of children and the containment of the epidemic.

"We must wait for the formal approvals from the FDA and the Ministry of Health before recommending the children's vaccine."

However, questions and doubts were raised by the experts.

"We need to be careful and wait for FDA approval to closely monitor, and if there is a country that will start vaccinating before us - maybe consider waiting," said Dr. Jan Miskin, a specialist in infectious diseases and family medicine in general.

Prof. Ron Dagan, an expert in infectious diseases from Soroka, said: "If there was no value in vaccinating children, there is an ethical problem in vaccinating them. It has great value for children, and it is important for the public to know. To ensure that they are safely vaccinated. "

A senior health official estimated that "the children's vaccine is expected to provoke waves of resistance we did not know until today. This requires a transparent discussion in the Ministry of Health, as is done in the FDA."

Another source in the health system noted that "the decision to vaccinate the children was made a long time ago, without professional or public discussion. Questions arise that did not arise in the vaccination of the adults, such as whether children should be vaccinated when the morbidity is declining."

"We will not round corners"

Dr. Sharon Elrai-Price, head of public health services at the Ministry of Health, said yesterday (Tuesday) in a press briefing: "I agree that the issue of vaccination for 15-12 year olds should be examined in depth.

We are not trying to run once Pfizer has announced something and start vaccinating children.

We are responsible for the health of the children.

Even if the disease in children as a whole is asymptomatic and mild, we do not know what the side effects will be later on and I would not take it lightly and treat it as a transient virus.

I take care of my children, I would not want them to be infected in Corona - and I look at all the children of Israel in the same way.

"We have data on about 800 children whose happiness is approved to give a vaccine at the age of 15-12 (see table, MIBA), to whom it is approved.

"Several hundred who received the vaccine did not report any side effects."

Dr. Elrai-Price noted that internal discussions on the issue have already begun, adding: “We will not round corners.

We will not do this before an in-depth discussion in the Ministry of Health and the team for the treatment of epidemics. "

"The plague is fading"

Elrai-Price also referred to the morbidity situation in Corona.

"We have about 300 patients a day and that is a significant decrease. The epidemic is fading," she said.

She also approved the outline published yesterday in "Israel Today" on the subject of returning to school, noting that "if there is no increase in morbidity - the next step will be to open capsules on Wednesday to Friday."

Meanwhile, against the background of the decline in morbidity, at Sheba Hospitals, which was the first to open the Corona ward, Assuta Ashdod, the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, the Springs of Salvation and Niado reported the closure of wards where Corona patients were treated.

Some have reported that no new patients have been admitted in recent days.

According to data from the Ministry of Health, as of yesterday at 18:49, there are 4,931 active patients in Israel, and last Monday, 376 new verified patients were diagnosed.

The percentage of positive tests was 0.7%.

486 Corona patients are hospitalized in the hospitals, of which 317 are in critical condition.

So far, the epidemic has claimed the lives of 6,257 people in Israel.