Photo: Magen David Adom began an extensive vaccination booster campaign on Sunday in nursing homes throughout Israel in an effort to curb the Delta variant and protect vulnerable populations.
Under the direction of the Ministry of Health, Magen David Adom began an extensive vaccination booster campaign on Sunday in nursing homes throughout Israel in an effort to curb the Delta variant and protect vulnerable populations.
“As Israel’s national rescue organization that has been at the forefront of the fight in Corona, we are proud to take on the national mission assigned to us by the Ministry of Health and carry out the third vaccination for the elderly,” says MDA Director-General Eli Bin.
Israel is the first country to offer a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine to its citizens on a wide scale. Residents and staff of nursing homes and assisted living facilities will be eligible for the booster, as are all people over 60 who were vaccinated more than five months ago.
Early this year, Israel carried out one of the world’s most aggressive and successful vaccination campaigns, managed in large part by MDA. Nearly 60% of the country’s 9.3 million citizens have received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, and over 80% of the population over 40 is vaccinated.
While neither the United States nor European Union have approved a third vaccine, there are signs that the vaccine’s efficacy wears off over time, and Israel has seen a spike in cases of the highly contagious Delta variant, even among people who are vaccinated.
“This is an important national task and I am sure that we will succeed quickly, efficiently, and professionally in reaching all the residents and staff of nursing homes and assisted living facilities around the country,” says Bin.
