Israel’s sudden Covid surge despite mass vaccinations

Israel, a world leader in Coronavirus vaccinations, has been reporting high daily infection rate since over three months as it scrambles to contain the spread of the new delta variant. Despite mass vaccinations, authorities are racing to give shots to children and are considering tighter travel restrictions at the country’s main airport.

Most Israelis were vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine, which, as per the research available, is shown to be less effective than the Moderna vaccine against the virus and this could be among the key reasons for spike in infections.

While Israel was among the first countries to begin vaccination for children and rolled out a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, research suggested the vaccine’s efficacy had reduced over time. Around 100,000 Israelis are getting inoculated every day, the vast majority of them with a third shot, it reported.

Israel saw a steep rise in cases, reaching an all-time high of 11,316 daily cases on September 2. However, the number of people needing hospitalisation has been low compared to the last coronavirus wave in mid-January. Green passes, that showed a person has been vaccinated or has recovered from the virus, were made compulsory for entertainment, sports, and cultural venues, gyms, cafes and hotels.