Israel was the first country in the world to start booster vaccinations.
(Photo: Reuters)
Tel Aviv Israel is tightening the regulations for the “Green Passport”. Only those who have received a third vaccination against Covid-19 will receive the document from Tuesday. People who received a second vaccination less than six months ago are also considered fully vaccinated. In addition, those who have recovered from Corona who have received a vaccination received the certificate in the past six months.
If the second vaccination was more than six months ago, the passport is no longer valid. With the new regulations, the country is increasing the pressure on the population to immunize themselves against the virus. Because access to most public places and facilities such as restaurants or fitness centers is only granted to citizens with the Green Pass.
At the end of July, Israel became the first country in the world to start offering booster vaccinations. About 61 percent of the 9.4 million inhabitants are vaccinated twice, according to the Ministry of Health, about 38 percent three times. The prerequisite for the third injection is that the second vaccination was at least five months ago.
There was cautious resistance to the stricter regulations. Some streets have been blocked in protest of the new conditions. Landlords and restaurateurs fear a loss of sales, but also a considerable amount of additional work: Before they allow customers to enter, they have to scan their barcodes and check for legality.
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The background to Israel’s decision are figures from the Ministry of Health, according to which the effectiveness of the vaccination has decreased significantly. A large part of the population had already been completely immunized at the beginning of the year. In June, however, the number of cases rose again significantly.
In the meantime they are going back – because of the campaign for the booster vaccination – the ministry reported 2653 new infections this Monday for the previous day. For comparison: at the end of August and the beginning of September, more than 11,000 new cases were registered every day.
The first corona stations are closing
According to health experts, the protection after the booster vaccination is significantly higher than with a double vaccination. Nadav Davidovitch, head of the Israeli Public Health Association, believes it is the right decision by the government to ask for a third shot for a full vaccination. The Green Pass is not a punishment, but a measure that takes clinical and epidemiological data into account.
The situation in the hospitals is easing, the first clinics are closing their corona wards. According to the ministry, there are currently 564 seriously ill corona patients. In September the number had temporarily exceeded 700. The vast majority of seriously ill people are unvaccinated, according to the ministry.
According to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, however, it is still too early for a broad relaxation of the corona regulations. “The news is good: we have started to stop the Delta variant, but it would be very dangerous to be careless now,” he said on Sunday.
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