The single-dose vaccine policy could prove disastrous

The UK has more hospitalizations than at the peak of the pandemic in March-April, and in the US, more than 125,000 people are hospitalized with COVID-19. Both countries have lost control of the spread of the disease.

Against the background of this medical emergency – which may lead to hospitals failing to provide adequate care to patients suffering from heart disease, cancer and fatal diseases far more dangerous than COVID-19 – some voices in these countries have raised a very controversial proposal: the suggested three-week interval between the two doses of the vaccine or skip the second dose directly.

This offer involves extensive risks. First – this proposal has not been shown to be safe and effective in clinical trials, which could make it difficult for the public to obtain the shot.

Virologists and immunologists fear that the administration of a single COVID vaccine would provide only partial protection against the pathogen.

According to the results of the official Pfizer study, a dose of vaccine provides only 52% protection against coronavirus for a period of 10 days to three weeks.

Subsequent examinations have shown that these figures may increase further, but have not been able to prove it with full certainty. Partial public immunity could also support selective evolutionary pressures on the virus, leading to the emergence of new variants capable of bypassing the vaccine.

So why do the British and Americans really entertain the thought of implementing such a policy? Because I’m in trouble.

One of the key figures in the White House Coronavirus Task Force, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has already said he will not agree with the single-dose policy for the same reasons listed above, even despite the sharp rise in cases. from the USA.

This proposal poses a high risk to public confidence in the vaccine. People need to know that the procedure is not affected by any political considerations or sophisticated manipulation of raw data.

The public should be as safe as possible in this vaccine, which has received emergency approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

People need to be confident in the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine before going for it. It is unacceptable for people who have received the first dose, waiting for a second dose, to hear now that the Ministry of Health – and not Pfizer – is ready to change policy, contributing only to the feeling of distrust.

Under no circumstances should Israel be in such a state of despair as Europe and the US, whether that means tightening the rules on social distancing or continuing to inoculate high-risk groups at a breakneck pace.

The government and the Ministry of Health must demonstrate coherence and focus on these major challenges and not play risky games that stem from feelings of urgency and despair abroad.