The Ministry of Health published data today (Friday) according to which 7,692 new verified persons were discovered yesterday
Those aged 40 and over will be able to receive a third dose immediately
The Epidemics Committee of the Vaccines Committee decided on the issue at a hearing held yesterday, and determined that the vaccination campaign in the third dose will be expanded.
The four HMOs have already begun vaccinating people aged 40 and over and called on their insureds to book appointments.
The Director General of the Ministry of Health, Prof. Nachman Ash, is expected to officially confirm the recommendation.
Other groups that can be vaccinated:
pregnant women, teaching staff, health care workers, patients and caregivers in health and welfare institutions, people with disabilities and their caregivers, caregivers of the elderly, prisoners and wardens and those dealing with diabetes and obesity.
People with immunosuppression will continue to be vaccinated.
Those with special medical conditions were invited to consult their doctor.
The Ministry of Health emphasized that a third dose of vaccine is given not before five months have passed since the second dose, and that recovering patients will not be vaccinated with another dose at this stage.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett commented on the decision: "This is another important step in the fight against the Delta strain.
The citizens of Israel were the first in the world to receive the third vaccine, and we continue to open up the possibility to more and more age groups.
As early as tomorrow morning I will be vaccinated with the third complementary vaccine.
I call on everyone who meets the criteria set by the committee members - get vaccinated. "
PM Bennett, yesterday: "Estimates that a third vaccine from the age of 40 will be approved tomorrow" // Photo: GPO
Data from the Gartner Research Institute were presented to the committee, which showed that those who were vaccinated with the booster dose were four times more protected than those who were vaccinated with only two doses against infection.
The third dose protects 6.5 times more than hospitalization and 5.5 times more than a serious illness compared to those who are vaccinated with two doses.
The rate of verified among the vaccinated in the third dose was about a quarter of the rate verified in the vaccinated in two doses.
The discussion also presented data on ages 49-40, after some committee members noted that so far there were no data to support the decision to give a booster dose at these ages.
The data show that there are 19 inpatients in critical condition aged 49-40 in the last month and a half, most of them in the last week.
It is estimated that without a booster dose in the coming month there will be more than 100 vaccinated (who received a first and second dose) aged 49-40 in critical condition.
It was further presented at the hearing that the coefficient of infection has remained very high for more than a month.
The number of patients doubles every two weeks, and there is an increase of more than 100 times the number of verified daily and more than 500 hospitalized in critical condition within a month.
As you may recall, the US administration announced yesterday that it intends to allow every American who received a second vaccine dose to Corona eight months or more ago to receive a booster dose, starting September 20th.