The Health Ministry’s advisory committee on COVID vaccines was set to meet on Thursday night to explore offering a booster to individuals as young as 40. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett asked Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla to speed up the process to receive approval for a corona vaccine for children under 12, amid a spike in cases.
According to Ministry Director-General Prof. Nachman Ash, preliminary data suggests that the booster – which is currently being offered to people over 60 – can help curb morbidity.
Bennett has already asked the health funds to prepare for vaccinating as early as Sunday.
Ash also expressed concern.
“I am worried that the situation will get worse in spite of new measures approved,” he said at a press briefing.
Ministers approved new restrictions late Wednesday night to contain the outbreak, which in the past few days has seen the number of daily cases spiking to about 6,000 a day, a number not seen since February when the country was still grappling with the worst weeks of the pandemic.
Beginning on Wednesday, the green pass system will be expanded to all activities and venues except for malls and stores, for which the Purple Ribbon outline will be brought back, allowing a maximum of one person per seven square meters (stores less than 100 sq. m. will be exempt).
Under the green pass
system, only individuals who are vaccinated, have recovered, or have undergone a rapid test in the previous 24 hours will be entitled to enter certain venues.
While children under age 12 are currently exempt, beginning next Friday only toddlers under three will be able to enter those places without a green pass, while children age 3-11 will need to take a test but will be able to do it for free. Those 12 and older will need to do so at their own expense.
For private events where the Green Pass does not apply, a cap of 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors has been fixed.
In case of mass events with no fixed seating, the limit will be placed at 1,000 indoors and 5,000 outdoors.
Israel registered 5,991 new cases on Wednesday, with 4.61% of those screened testing positive.
As of Thursday night, there were 445 serious patients. Twenty-four hours earlier there were 400, and a week earlier there were 262.
The authorities hope that an acceleration of the vaccination campaign, both for the third shot and for the first and second vaccines to those who are eligible and have not received it, will help curb serious morbidity.
Bennett spoke with Bourla on Thursday and asked Pfizer to speed up the process of developing a vaccine for children under 12.
The company’s CEO told the prime minister that he sees great importance in the possibility of vaccinating children, and that he is doing and will do his best to accelerate such a process, according to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office.