Israel’s two largest health watchdogs (HMOs) are urging the government to allow major vaccines to be launched from Monday, a day after the country began handing out the coronavirus pictures to frontline health workers.
The Ministry of Health on Wednesday released a detailed list of who would be included first when the vaccination campaign begins on Sunday.
At the top of the list were hospital staff, followed by HMO staff, private health clinics, and dental offices; medical and nursing students participating in clinical visits; members of Magen David Adom and other ambulance services; and residents and carers of old living homes.
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Later in the first stage, the Ministry of Health said, those in risk groups and anyone over 60 would be vaccinated at HMOs. Next will be those with medical illnesses that put them at particular risk; Israelis working in jobs at high risk for the virus, such as teachers, social workers, first responders, and prison and prison workers; and Israeli Defense Forces soldiers and other security guards.
The rest of the population will eventually arrive, with a timeline based on how many doses Israel will reach and the level of demand from the priority groups. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that if there are more doses, the public will be allowed to be vaccinated more quickly.
However, public broadcaster Kan announced late Wednesday that HMOs Maccabi and Clalit have asked to receive tens of thousands of doses to begin vaccinating the general public, especially those deemed to be at risk. high, from Monday.
The other two HMOs, Meuhedet and Leumit, are scheduled to start Wednesday, the report said.
However, the report said the vaccine would only be available in the first few days in cities.
An Israeli nurse seen during a symbolic vaccination against the COVID-19 virus, at Sheba Tel haShome hospital, central Israel, December 10, 2020. (Miriam Alster / FLASH90)
The government has set a target of 60,000 vaccines per day when the drive begins, meaning two million Israelis could receive the vaccine by the end of January.
Along with around four million doses from Pfizer expected to arrive by the end of the month, Channel 12 said Wednesday that a further four million doses were expected by the end of March for a total of eight million doses – enough for four million person to be vaccinated.
The network said the Moderna vaccine, which could receive emergency approval from U.S. regulators within days, as well as a vaccine issued by AstraZeneca, is not expected to reach Israel earlier than April.
The vaccination campaign is coming as said by the government to reduce new restrictions on the population, as disease numbers rise.
Israel is embroiled in a dramatic rise in new COVID-19 cases, with infections soaring to nearly 3,000 Tuesday, the highest case burden in more than two months.
Interior Minister Aryeh Deri said that if things kept going, the government would have to approve its “strict restrictions” plan.
“We’re on our way there, unfortunately,” he told Channel 12 News.
These are expected to include the closure of shops, malls, and outdoor markets, as well as schools in high-infected areas. Channel 12 news reported that health officials believe trade could be closed within five days.
According to the network, if these moves do not successfully bring down the disease rate, Israel could reach a full lock in three weeks.
The criterion set by the government for resetting restrictions is an average of 2,500 cases per day over an entire week or a basic reproduction number of over 1.32. That figure was at 1.27 last week, according to the Ministry of Health. Any value over one means that the rate of virus infection is increasing.
A nurse prepares a bullet as a study of a potential COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., beginning in Binghamton, New York, on July 27, 2020. (AP Photo / Hans Pennink)
The Ministry of Health said Wednesday that 2,888 new cases had been confirmed the day before, the highest level since Oct. 12 and a big jump compared to Monday, in which 2,279 cases were confirmed. The number of new cases was partly a reflection of the large number of tests performed, 82,120, a daily record since the onset of the pandemic.
However, the rate of tests for a positive return was also going up and reached 3.5 percent, the highest daily rate in nearly two months for a weekday. Test rates usually fall on weekends, with the probationary rate rising over time.
With 1,476 other diseases diagnosed Wednesday, the total burden since the onset of the pandemic reached 364,320. Active cases rose to 20,255, including 393 patients in poor condition and 152 on ventilators.
The death toll rose to 3,031.
Israel has already held two national locks since the uprising began in March. Some restrictions from the second lock, limiting public life, are still in place.
