Members of the Health Ministry's pandemic response team convened on Tuesday to discuss a third dose of the coronavirus vaccine for children aged 5 to 11. A majority of team members, 60%, were in favor of recommending the booster shot while 40% opposed.
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Team members further recommended allowing anyone aged 18 and over to receive a fourth jab.
The team submitted its recommendations to Health Ministry Director-General Nachman Ash, who is tasked with making the final call on the issue.
As for the vaccination of children, team members, led by Dr. Boaz Lev, were presented with information indicating no Western state had approved a third dose of the booster shot for all children across the board.
They were also shown data on the efficacy of the vaccines in preventing significant protection from hospitalization in children and teens infected with the Omicron variant of the virus, as well as arguments in favor of administering a third dose to children to provide them with optimal protection from the coronavirus.
Those in favor of a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine argued that the pandemic had proven the need for a third shot to be administered as a matter of protocol. They further claimed a third dose of the vaccine would decrease the risk of long COVID.
Opponents of the move, however, argued: "The inability to continue to prevent infection among the vaccinated population, together with the broad infection of the juvenile population thus far and the relatively low risk of serious morbidity, make a widespread campaign to administer the third dose extraneous."
Opponents further argued that a third dose could be recommended at a later stage, for example, during a new outbreak of the virus.
Another issue raised for discussion at the meeting was the lack of information from hospitals on patients who received a preventative COVID-19 therapy known as Evusheld. Team members noted the "inherent delay" in administering preventative medicines Paxlovid and Molnupiravir, which prevent serious illness and are given five days after diagnosis, to patients. Despite intensive efforts by hospitals, a significant percentage of patients do not receive the medicines in time.
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