Israeli health: Corona vaccines may not be effective with “South African strain”

A senior Israeli health ministry official on Wednesday expressed concern over the ineffectiveness of vaccines against the emerging corona virus against the new strain that has emerged in South Africa.

According to the “Times of Israel” newspaper, Sharon Allroy Press, acting head of public health at the Department of Health, cited a “disturbing” preliminary study indicating that vaccination offers less protection against the South African variant, but pointed out that the effect of vaccines on the new strain.

“If we come to the conclusion that this is ineffective, we will ask those who have been confirmed and those who have returned from South Africa to self-quarantine,” press told the Constitution, Law Committee. and the justice of the Knesset, at a time when scientists from South Africa are investigating the effectiveness of vaccines against this strain.

“We are dealing with quick variables that can compromise the effectiveness of the vaccine,” Bryce said during his speech to lawmakers, despite statements from vaccine company officials that their products are effective against new strains discovered in Great Britain and South Africa.

However, vaccine makers said their products could be altered within weeks to accommodate new mutations in the virus.

The press comments came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the first shipment of Moderna vaccines arrived in Israel on Thursday.

He said vaccines would be given to those who cannot make it to vaccination centers, whether because they are in quarantine or for other reasons.

Netanyahu added that he is still working to transfer other vaccines to Israel, which has requested 6 million doses of the American Moderna vaccine, in addition to 10 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine developed by scientists at the University of Oxford. in Great Britain, in addition to 8 million doses of the Pfizer / Bionic vaccine.

Israel has been striving to vaccinate 150,000 people a day with the Pfizer vaccine since December 20, as part of a massive national campaign to give vaccines to all of its 9 million people.

Health officials have started immunizing health workers and people over 60, with the number of people who have already received the vaccine reaching 1.37 million.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz said on Wednesday that the IDF will not request additional doses of the vaccine until all Israelis and those at high risk have been vaccinated.