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Israel became the first country in the world to announce that it will begin administering the fourth dose of the vaccine against COVID-19, a measure that seeks to face the advance of the omicron variant. “We are seeing decreased protection against omicron infection. This wave is growing to a surprisingly high number”Said Arnon Shahar, a doctor from the expert panel of the Ministry of Health that recommended the measure.
The announcement of the government of Prime Minister Naftali Benet seeks to anticipate a complicated scenario by omicron at a time when Israel It fights to contain the spread of the variant with travel bans and other restrictions, although it has failed to order the confinement of the population.
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Tuesday 21 Israel registered more than 1,300 new infections, the highest figure since mid-October, and a doubling in the number of cases of the omicron variant, which now exceed 340. In addition, vaccination figures have remained stagnant for two months, with 63% of the population inoculated with at least two doses of Pfizer and almost 45% also with the booster dose.
“The new variant is dangerous, at first it seemed to be harmless but it is not. There is concern among the authorities”, Says to El Comercio the Peruvian Moshé Tapiero Cohen, who has spent 12 of his 49 years in Israel.
The compatriot is one of those who will receive the fourth booster dose in the first group because he suffers from health problems. “The fourth dose is already scheduled as of January 2022. In Israel people are willing to get vaccinated, here almost everyone already has three vaccines, being vaccinated once more is irrelevant. We have to do it. Now those under the age of 16 up to 12 years have already been vaccinated and 15 days ago a massive campaign was beginning in schools to vaccinate children from the age of 5“He says.
Peruvian Ela Díaz, who has been in Israel for two years, points out that the new dose aims to contain the omicron variant and strengthen protection.
“It will be important to get the fourth dose because the subject of COVID-19 varies each time, perhaps up to a fifth dose will be necessary, it is not known at this time. Vaccination is key to fighting the pandemic, it is something that will protect us”, The 29-year-old compatriot told this newspaper.
It highlights that although there have not been many serious cases within the country, the authorities “they have been designating countries as red zones, mainly in Europe. It is very difficult to leave and re-enter if you are coming from a country in red at the moment”.
Tapiero Cohen also believes Israel is likely to bet on a fifth dose or perhaps more booster doses later. “Studies say that after six months the percentage of defense protection begins to decline, so I think more reinforcements will be required, what will be done, this is a pandemic“He says.
Measures versus omicron
The Israeli government acted swiftly against omicron. On November 25, it banned foreigners from entering Israel and this week expanded a list of high-risk countries to which its citizens should not travel.
Given the increase in contagion of omicron cases, some internal measures have been announced that include restrictions on access to shopping centers and limits on presence in schools in the towns with the highest rate of cases.
“Israel has made a complete restriction of the airport for two weeks in order to organize ourselves and foresee what measures can be taken to control the foreigners who are arriving and the residents themselves. In addition, all foreigners who come have to quarantine, even if they are vaccinated. This varies, people vaccinated for 14 days and those who not a week more, that is, 21 days”, Comments Tapiero Cohen.
Despite this, Díaz points out that, in general, the situation inside Israel is still normal. “They have not closed or partially closed any business or item. There is no curfew, there is no limited capacity. Here it is very quiet, currently we can walk through the streets without a mask, only in closed places do we have to wear one mask, not two. I go out to work, I go shopping, we do protect ourselves if we are in the mall. what is regulatory is to enter with the ‘green pass’ (green pass) to any establishment, such as shops, bars and closed places”, he says.
The strategy of getting ahead
During the pandemic, Israel earned a reputation for being effective against the virus by acting before things got too complicated. After a very fast inoculation campaign with the first and second doses of Pfizer, the Hebrew country was also the first in the world to administer the booster dose.
“Israel is always ahead. Vaccination has been exemplary, each citizen has a computerized medical history that allows everything to be traced”Says Díaz.
“At first it was shocking because we saw that the other countries continued their lives regularly while they put us in a total quarantine, but later, as the process progressed, we saw the results. Now we can say that we are not afraid of being put back into full lockdown. Here the airport measures are taken, which I think are the most important, I think it is something exemplary, because the issue of borders allows the spread of COVID-19″ He adds.
Tapiero Cohen adds that today the residents of Israel have a new ‘green pass’ where the registration of the three doses is already included. “And a bracelet will also be used to enter shopping centers. This bracelet will have a barcode and the security person at the door of the establishments will have a code reader to verify that the person is vaccinated so that they can enter, they will even be able to see their photo”.
He points out that Israel has realized that even with three doses of the vaccine a person can also contract the virus. “They insist that we always have to take care of ourselves, even if we are vaccinated. We must take the usual measures, hand washing, total hygiene and use of a mask in closed places”, Adds the Peruvian.
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