TEL AVIV – Israel will begin vaccinating high school students to target a demographic suspected of accelerating the country’s Covid-19 outbreak.
With a capacity to treat approximately 200,000 people per day, the country’s health authorities are able to vaccinate Israel’s approximately 300,000 16- to 18-year-olds at short notice, but the challenge will be to make sure everyone comes show up for a chance. Israel has approved the vaccine for anyone over the age of 16. It will not vaccinate anyone under that age.
Data from the Ministry of Health shows that the younger population of Israel is much more likely to test positive for the coronavirus, with 10- to 19-year-olds making up 21% of known infections. The 20 to 29 age group is responsible for 19% of known infections.
“They are the megaspreaders,” Ido Hadari, director of government relations at Israel’s Maccabi Healthcare Services, said of high school students. “If we vaccinate these guys, they will no longer be spreaders.”
Israel is leading the world’s fastest vaccination campaign to date, delivering the first dose of the Pfizer Inc. vaccine to nearly 30% of the population since late December. Israel has also received a number of shipments of the Moderna Inc. vaccine, but so far has mainly relied on Pfizer.