The director general of the Ministry of Health commented on the warning of the trip, and the fear of new mutations entering Israel • "Students and foreign workers returning from India will enter isolation in a motel"
The director general of the Ministry of Health, Prof. Hezi Levy, referred today (Thursday) in a press briefing to the travel warning to the row of countries published today:
Director General of the Ministry of Health: "The vaccine may be less effective for the Indian variant" // Photo: GPO
"Every passenger who returns to Israel is required to do a PCR test, and if he is not vaccinated and recovers he goes into isolation for 10 days with two tests," he added.
Regarding returnees from India: "Foreign workers and students will enter the hotels and do the isolation there. Students will not be prevented from arriving in the country."
The director general of the Ministry of Health continued: "Ben Gurion Airport is an entrance for people who have come from different countries who have the disease. There are mutations that can increase the disease like a boomerang.
Prof. Levy also warned that the effectiveness of the vaccine against the Indian variant of the corona virus may be reduced: "We feel uncomfortable with it because it contains such mutations that can attach better to the human cell."
He also noted that there is a need for an additional vaccine 10 months to a year after the date of the first vaccination, one dose for the vaccinated and two doses for those who have not been vaccinated at all by that date.
"We know there needs to be another dose. It will probably be a year after the vaccines we started in December," he said.
On the green label: "It will probably be extended until the next vaccine is given. At first we knew the antibodies formed would be protected for six months, so it is valid for this period. In the meantime, more information has been accumulated. The agreements signed, Israel will be able to receive upgraded vaccines. "