Contradicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims the previous day that Israelis would undergo another round of coronavirus vaccinations in six months, National Virus Tsar Nachman Ash said on Wednesday that he does not know when the expected campaign will take place.
‘I can’t say when we’ll get another vaccine [shot], maybe in six months, maybe in a year, maybe even longer, “Ash told Army Radio.
He explained that it is assumed that the vaccinations delivered so far will eventually lose their effectiveness and that the current vaccination may not protect against new strains of the virus, necessitating a new round of dosing.
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“If we see that the vaccine is surprisingly good and remains effective for a long time” and without virus variants that pose new threats, “it may take more time” for the Israelis to need another injection, Ash said.
There is already concern about how effective the vaccines will be against a new strain of the coronavirus that first emerged in India and which has been discovered in a handful of recent patients in Israel.
Ash said health officials were still working to determine the situation and answers should come in a few weeks.
A British mutation of the virus was blamed for a sudden spike in infections at the start of the year and contributed to the order for a third national lockdown that has been largely relaxed in recent months.
Ash also reiterated that vaccination of children under 16 years of age against COVID-19 will not begin until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves the vaccination of young people of that age.
He said that while the symptoms of COVID-19 seem to be milder in children, it will still be important for them to get vaccinated when the time comes.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will give a press conference at the Prime Minister’s office in Jerusalem on April 20, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel / Flash90)
Ash also confirmed to the station that Israel is trying to abort the AstraZeneca vaccine order, saying “they are not needed,” but gave no further explanation.
On Tuesday, Netanyahu said Israel is preparing for another six-month vaccination campaign against the coronavirus, which will also involve children, as a follow-up to the country’s world-leading drive that has already completed inoculation of more than half of its population.
“Prepare your shoulders … and kids,” Netanyahu said at a news conference, predicting that COVID-19 vaccines would be approved for use in children by then.
Netanyahu’s prediction appeared to be based on comments from Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, who said last week that he believes a third dose of the company’s vaccine will be needed “anywhere from 6-12 months” after getting the first two. doses, and then annually. Pfizer has said the vaccine it developed with BioNTech from Germany remains 91% effective after 6 months.
The prime minister’s announcement came a day after Israel signed new supply deals with Pfizer and Moderna. The exact number of doses from each company remains classified, but Hebrew media reports said Israel agreed to pay for a total of 18 million photos of the two US companies, with the option to purchase millions more after they have been used.
