Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel is preparing for another six-month coronavirus vaccination campaign, which will include children, after concluding new deals with Pfizer and Moderna to buy millions of additional doses.
“Prepare your shoulders … and your children,” he said at a news conference, predicting that COVID-19 vaccines would be approved for use in children by then.
He also warned of possible new variants of coronavirus or even “a new virus”, saying that there will be no recurrence of COVID-19 if there are no such “surprises”.
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Netanyahu’s forecast came based on remarks by Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, who said last week that he thought the company’s third dose of vaccine would be needed “somewhere between 6-12 months” after receiving the first two doses. and annually thereafter. Pfizer said the vaccine it developed with BioNTech in Germany remains 91% effective after 6 months.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a press conference at his Jerusalem office on April 20, 2021. (Kobi Gideon / GPO)
The prime minister’s comments came a day after Israel closed new supply deals with Pfizer and Moderna. The exact number of doses from each company remains secret, but reports in the Jewish press said that Israel agreed to pay for a total of 18 million photos from the two American companies, with the option to buy millions more after what they were used for.
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine vials at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, December 20, 2020. (Photo AP / Ariel Schalit)
According to the agreement, the doses that will be provided will be adapted to the different variants of the virus, if necessary.
Israel has not yet given a precise timetable for when vaccines will be allowed for children. Earlier this month, Pfizer applied for authorization to use COVID-19 in children between the ages of 12 and 15 in the United States.
Their request to the US Food and Drug Administration came after Phase 3 clinical trials with the Pfizer vaccine in the age group were 100% effective in preventing the disease, according to the companies.
The Israeli Pediatric Associated has asked parents and family physicians to vaccinate their children when the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is approved for those children. The vaccine currently has an emergency authorization for use in people over the age of 16.
Nearly 5 million Israelis, more than half of its total population, received both doses of the vaccine.
