With the first consignments of Pfizer vaccines against Covid-19 arriving in Israel,. Ministry of Health director general Hezi Levi and the ministry's ombudsman for the medical professions Dr. Boaz Lev held a press conference today. The ministry has concluded work on establishing the order of priorities for vaccinating Israelis.
The first people to be vaccinated will be workers in the health system, amounting to some 250,000 people. After them will come old people in institutions and their carers, amounting to another 350,000 people. Then will come old people according to age criteria to be set in accordance with the availability of vaccines. After them, people with background medical conditions will be vaccinated, especially those with obesity, diabetes, and transplanted organs, followed by people hospitalized in mental health institutions and teachers (about 200,000 people). They will be followed by IDF soldiers, and then the rest of the population. The health funds will allow people who are not in priority categories to be vaccinated from the beginning of the vaccination campaign, in accordance with their vaccinating capacity.
Asked who will not be vaccinated in the initial period of vaccinations, the Ministry of Health responded, "Children under 16 have not undergone the trial process, and therefore will not receive the vaccination. Later on we will consider opening up vaccination to younger age groups. The vaccination has also not been checked on pregnant women, and we shall therefore wait, although there is no information indicating risk during pregnancy. People with severe allergic reactions will not receive the vaccine, nor will people who have recovered from Covid-19 and who should be immune."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on December 10, 2020
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