Israel's Exploding Surge Of Covid Infections Is Raising Questions On The Effectiveness Of Vaccines

Around two-third of people in Israel are fully-vaccinated, and its inoculation drive was the fastest, with the nation hitting the 50 per cent threshold by mid-March. But daily coronavirus infections reached a six-month high of 8,752 on Monday, before falling slightly on Tuesday. And more than half of cases are in fully-jabbed people

Deaths are rising in Israel, despite the high vaccine uptake, with 120 people dying in the last week — similar to levels seen in September, when Israel was in lockdown  

New York Times: Israel, Once the Model for Beating Covid, Faces New Surge of Infections  

One of the most vaccinated societies, Israel now has one of the highest infection rates in the world, raising questions about the vaccine’s efficacy. 

JERUSALEM — Last spring, Israel’s remarkably swift vaccination campaign was seen as a global model. 

Coronavirus infections plummeted, an electronic pass allowed the vaccinated to attend indoor concerts and sporting events, and distancing rules and mask mandates were eventually scrapped. 

Israel offered the world a hopeful glimpse of the way out of the pandemic. 

No longer. A fourth wave of infections is rapidly approaching the levels of Israel’s worst days of the pandemic last winter. 

The daily rate of confirmed new virus cases has more than doubled in the last two weeks, making Israel a rising hot spot on the international charts. 

 Restrictions on gatherings and commercial and entertainment venues were reinstated this week, and the government is considering a new lockdown. 

“I believe we are at war,” Israel’s coronavirus commissioner, Prof. Salman Zarka, told a parliamentary committee on Wednesday. 

Scientists are still assessing how Israel’s pandemic response plunged from shining example to cautionary tale, and the stunning reversal has provided a crucial test for Israel’s new prime minister, Naftali Bennett, who staked a claim for leadership partly on the strength of his manifesto, “How to Beat a Pandemic.” 

But some experts fear that Israel’s high rate of infections among early vaccine recipients may indicate a waning of the vaccine’s protections over time, a finding that contributed to a U.S. decision Wednesday to begin offering booster shots to Americans starting next month. 

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Update #1: Israel offers third Covid jabs to all over-40s and teachers as it expands booster scheme to combat alarming fourth wave — and experts warn UK and US are next if they don't follow suit (Daily Mail)  

Update #2: Israeli doctors find severe COVID-19 breakthrough cases mostly in older, sicker patients (Reuters)  

WNU Editor: As it was mentioned yesterday. The groundwork is being laid on why we must take a third shot.