Coronavirus, Israel vaccinates children aged three and up
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Alaina
- . August 23, 2021
- . Update: August 23, 2021 11:17 pm
Covid-19-related mortality officially hit a new daily record in Iran on Sunday. The same day restrictions were lifted earlier this week to contain the spread of the virus. According to the Israeli Health Department, 684 patients have succumbed to the disease in the past 24 hours, erasing the previous record of 655 deaths announced on August 16.
On Sunday, Israel launched a coronavirus serological testing campaign for children between 3 and 12 to study antibodies developed by unvaccinated youth before the school year starts. As a result, children who have developed enough antibodies will not be forced to isolate themselves if exposed to an infected person, limiting school problems.
Israel has also decided to introduce new restrictive measures in the fight against the spread of coronavirus infections, precisely to deal with the health emergency in the country. A further extension of the green pass, starting from August 18, will be applied from 3 years of age upwards. In addition, the so-called “Violet Code” will be reintroduced within shopping centers and shopping areas, starting from the same date, authorizing the maximum presence of one person per seven square meters.
At the same time, the Israeli government approved an extraordinary budget for hospitals to strengthen their facilities as soon as possible. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett reported in the country, “there is, in fact, a race between the spread of the Delta variant and the vaccination campaign. We need to be ready to face a situation where there is a simultaneous increase in hospitalizations in all hospitals,” he said. “We have to buy time for the vaccination campaign to take effect,” he added.
Among other things, according to the most up-to-date data, from July 30 to yesterday, the third dose of Pfizer vaccine was administered to 713,000 Israeli citizens over 60, all already vaccinated with two doses over five months ago. On the other hand, the first two vaccinations in the younger population groups are proceeding slowly. Nevertheless, according to local experts, it is precisely the injection of the third dose to protect from severe forms of the disease. In the future, it should also be extended to the over 50s and 40s.
