The single-dose vaccination policy could be disastrous

Britain has more hospital admissions than during the peak of the March-April pandemic, and in the US, more than 125,000 people are hospitalized with COVID-19. Both countries have lost control of the spread of the disease.

Against the backdrop of this medical emergency – which could result in hospitals being unable to provide adequate care for patients suffering from heart disease, cancer and fatal illnesses far more dangerous than COVID-19 – some voices in these countries have raised a highly controversial proposal forward: extending the suggested three-week interval between the two doses of the vaccine or skipping the second dose.

This offer involves major risks. First and foremost, in clinical trials, this proposal has not been proven to be safe and effective, which could make it more difficult for the public to get on board when getting the photo.

Virologists and immunologists fear that just one injection of COVID vaccine would provide only partial protection against the pathogen.

According to Pfizer’s official study results, a single dose of the vaccine provides only 52% protection against coronavirus for a period of 10 days to three weeks.

Subsequent studies have shown that these numbers can rise even further, but could not prove this with complete certainty. Partial public immunity could also amplify the selective evolutionary pressure on the virus that would lead to the emergence of new variants that can bypass the vaccine.

So why do the British and the Americans harbor the thought of implementing such a policy? Because they are having a hard time.

One of the key figures in the White House’s Coronavirus Task Force, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said he will not endorse the single-dose policy for the same reasons mentioned above, even despite the sharp spike in US cases.

This proposal poses a major risk to public confidence in the vaccine. People should know that the procedure is not affected by political considerations or sophisticated manipulation of raw data.

The public should have as much assurance as possible about this vaccine, which has been approved in emergency situations by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

People need confidence in the safety and efficacy of the vaccine before they get it. It is unacceptable that people who have received the first dose and are expecting a second should now hear that the Department of Health – and not Pfizer – is willing to change policies, which only adds to the sense of mistrust.

Under no circumstances should Israel be in a state of despair like Europe and the US, whether that means tightening the rules of social distance relations or continuing to vaccinate at-risk groups at breakneck speed.

The government and the Ministry of Health must be consistent and focus on these major challenges, and not play risky games that arise from feelings of distress and despair abroad.