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Young Israelis do not seem in a rush to receive the COVID vaccine booster, vaccination rates among these age groups appear to be among the lowest in the country, new health data reveals.
According to data from the Health Ministry released on Monday, since the vaccine recall campaign was extended to all ages three weeks ago, only 21.7% of Israelis between the ages of 20 and 29 have received the booster. Among those aged 30-39, less than a third have received the booster, while among those 40 and over, the third vaccination rate is 42%.
The Department of Health announced last month that from October 1, the Green Pass will only be valid if a holder has received a vaccine booster or if the first two doses were given less than five months ago. .
Ministry officials believe the main reasons for low immunization rates among young Israelis are concern that boosters will need to be received every six months, severe side effects, reduced willingness to travel abroad during times of pandemic and lack of incentives for vaccination.
Israeli health maintenance organizations have admitted that their vaccination centers are currently empty and that there is no strategic plan to encourage young people to receive the third vaccine.
Dr Doron Dushnitsky, head of coronavirus patient care at Leumit Health Services, said that when it was first announced that the Green Pass will be invalid for many from October, he encouraged young people to be vaccinated, but since then fewer and fewer people make an appointment for the booster.
“At first the vaccination complexes were full, but now they are empty, even though we are trying to raise awareness through the media, the momentum is gone,” Dushnitsky said.
“A lot of people are reluctant to take the encore because they lost confidence after being promised that the second hit would last longer than it did and they also keep asking if it will be the last,” Dushnitsky said.
Dushnitsky added that unlike the first and second vaccines, this time they did not receive an organized work plan from the Ministry of Health, and if the situation continues like this, even fewer people will be willing to be vaccinated.
Other HMOs reiterated their feelings, citing low vaccination rates. “As we are seeing, there is a drop in vaccination rates among young people and we have not received any work plan from the Ministry of Health to increase these rates,” said Dr David Dvir, head of the division. primary care in Meuhedet. Health services and member of an advisory committee on coronavirus vaccinations.
He added that the low rates are also due to the fact that young people are not afraid of becoming seriously ill from COVID and therefore feel less inclined to get vaccinated.
“People must understand that with the passage of time [after the second shot], antibodies decrease and their defense against COVID weakens, so the chances of getting sick are higher, ”he said.
He also said that it appears the public is unaware that starting October 1, anyone who has not received the reminder will lose their Green Pass and will no longer be able to enter places that do. require. “You have to remember that you may feel bad for a day or two from the side effects of the booster, but it is better than the severe effects of COVID during illness and even after.”
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Sources 2/ https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/s1pawyngt The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
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