Dr. Sharon Elrai Price today (Saturday) referred to the recommendation of the FDA Advisory Committee to approve a booster vaccine for people aged 65 and over, health workers, police, teachers and high-risk people, and told Israel Today that: "This is a very logical and justified decision for United States data. United States.
I think that every country should make the decisions that suit it at that moment and we will happily share the world with the data we have. "
She added that "the epidemic data in the US as presented in the discussion were similar to what we had three months ago - although there is a decrease in the effectiveness of vaccines, but there is still a high level of protection from hospitalizations, serious illness and death.
This is exactly the data we had and we said at the time that the vaccines are useful. "
The quick tests for students have arrived in Israel // Photo: Adam Geffen
She added that "we must remember that we are at least three months ahead of them when it comes to vaccinating the population, so this is a very sensible and justified decision for them. I did not come to convince them in the discussion, just to share our experience.
According to her, the FDA's decision to vaccinate the booster is even broader than the decision made at the time in Israel to vaccinate people aged 60 and over, because it also includes people who work with an audience such as medical staff, police or teachers, as well as people with background illnesses.
It is important to emphasize: the US committee initially recommends a third vaccine for a larger group than the one we started with in Israel.
In the United States, as in many countries, it is clear what we have seen and seen here in hospitals: the protection afforded by the vaccine fades over time and a complementary dose is required.
This is not an unusual thing, a lot of routine vaccines are given in several doses. >>
- Nitzan Horowitz Nitzan Horowitz Nitzan Horowitz (@NitzanHorowitz) September 18, 2021
Elrai Price added that "the FDA has approved the principle of vaccine attenuation. Now the US and any other country will have to decide which of the citizens will be vaccinated according to the plague condition in them.
In Israel, with tens of thousands verified per day, the risk of young people aged 16 to 39 being infected with corona and having life-threatening effects is much higher than the risk of vaccination.
For example, the risk of developing myocarditis - the chances of getting it as a result of coronary heart disease are almost six times higher than the chances of getting it from the vaccine itself, so the vaccine is safe and effective.
It is important to understand that once there is morbidity in the country, it is much more dangerous than the vaccine. "
Queue for vaccinations in Tel Aviv (those photographed have no connection to the article) // Photo: Yehoshua Yosef,
On the outline of the new green label for the vaccinated in the booster that will take effect on October 1, she said: "It makes no sense for someone who got vaccinated eight months ago to enter places of entertainment freely, while we know the vaccine has faded. Anyone who does not want to be vaccinated can do tests and get in, we do not force."
As mentioned, FDA experts today discussed the issue of Pfizer's request to approve the administration of booster vaccines to people aged 16 and over.
The outline of the green label in Israel, as mentioned, will also include those aged 12 and over who will need a third vaccination in about three months.
Elrai Price claimed that this decision would be reconsidered.
"There is a logical epidemiological statement here that says that if we gave the first vaccine for a justifiable reason, and we know the effect of the vaccine goes down, then it makes no sense to say that 12 year olds do not go down. If it made sense to vaccinate in the first round That, in any case, is still irrelevant to them, "she said.
Teacher receives corona certificates from students, archive // Photo: Oren Ben Hakon,
On the preparation for returning from the holidays, she added that "a situation where parents are tested and tested before the child enters the frame, this is a welcome move and the effects of the move should be analyzed well this time. There were no previous reports from parents and we do not know the effect. "This time, there will be a requirement to report the test and the results online so that it can be tested."
However, regarding the outline of the green class, Elrai Price expressed concern that the demand from the government to operate it broadly and not as an orderly pilot, could lead to contagion.
"We wanted to do a pilot of 200 classes to see if it is possible to replace the isolation days at home with quick tests. I am not complete and calm that it will go well if the pilot is carried out more widely. These are children who came in contact with verified patients in the more contagious Delta variant. "The government's decision is to make it horizontal. I hope it goes well, we need to check that it does not cause more children's infections," she concluded.