Many countries around the world are in awe of the State of Israel's vaccination campaign. In under two weeks, 1 million Israelis have been vaccinated with Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine, and we are now inoculating people a day. As of Jan. 1, Israel is the world leader in the number of vaccines administered for every 100 people, with countries like Britain, the US, and Germany, following not so closely behind. Moreover, many European countries have barely kicked off their vaccination campaigns.
Beyond the Israeli government's extraordinary achievement in bringing over the vaccines, we have risen to the task thanks to the country's strong healthcare system, logistical prowess, ability to respond quickly in emergencies, and most importantly, the enlistment and volunteering spirit of medical staff: nurses who finished their shift and volunteered for another, administrative staff who set up over 200 vaccination centers in record time, pharmacists, and countless others. It is particularly moving to see Holocaust survivors come to Sheba Medical Center for their vaccination, allowing us to express our gratitude to them for establishing the state.
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In the midst of the vaccination campaign, we learned of cases where medical workers experiencing muscle pain and chills believed these were merely side effects of the vaccine. These symptoms were in fact an indication they had developed COVID-10, and indeed, those workers tested positive for the virus.
How much protection does the first dose of the vaccine provide? The vaccine is at its most effective around one week after the second dose, or 28 days after the first dose is administered. The first dose triggers a cellular response – antibodies and immune cells that are immune to the virus. The second dose triggers the memory cells and strengthens the body's immune system to something like 95% efficacy.
The vaccine itself does not cause the illness because it does not contain fragments of the virus.
In the 28 days following the administration of the first dose, the body's defenses against the virus grow from around 50% immediately after inoculation to around 95% 10 days later. According to Pfizer's clinical trials, around 5% of those who received the vaccine became infected with the coronavirus, though none of those infected became seriously ill. While social media networks are flooded with baseless information on the safety of the vaccine, reality tells us otherwise. With one million doses administered, a relatively small number of allergic reactions requiring medical treatment have been observed. We continue to follow the symptoms reported, a majority of which are very mild and include pain, fever, redness at the injection site, headaches, and lethargy.
Yet we must not assume the pandemic is behind us. The number of cases is on the rise, and hospitals, including Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, have reopened their coronavirus wards.
Now, more than ever, we must avoid corona complacency. We still don't know whether those who received the vaccine can infect others. There are vaccines, like the polio vaccine, that trigger an immune response but do not prevent the virus from multiplying in mucus and infecting others.
With the war on the coronavirus at its height, now is the time for solidarity and both societal and individual responsibility, and for us to continue to wear masks and practice good hygiene and social distancing. I believe that at the start of a new year, there is room for optimism. I hope that we will soon see a return to the normal lives we all miss so much.
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