Israel: “No reason to panic” booster vaccinated protected against Omicron variant

Israel: “No reason to panic” booster vaccinated protected against Omicron variant.

THE health minister of Israel, Nitzan Horowitz, told the country on Tuesday, November 30, that there is “no reason to panic” because people who are booster vaccinated are protected against the new Omicron COVID variant.

“We have indications that people who are booster vaccinated are protected and there is no reason to panic,” Nitzan Horowitz said during a press conference at Soroka Medical Centre in Be’er Sheba.

“In the coming days we will have more accurate information about the efficacy of the vaccine against Omicron,” Horowitz continued.

“But there is already room for optimism, and there are initial indications that those who are vaccinated with a vaccine still valid or with a booster, will also be protected from this variant.”

Channel 12 news citing “sources” claim that the Pfizer jab was 90 per cent effective at preventing symptomatic infection from Omicron, only slightly less than Delta, and also claimed the super variant is just 30 per cent more infectious than Delta — much lower than initially feared.

Sharon Alroy-Preis, Israel’s Health Ministry’s head of public health services, said that the residents of Israel do not need to panic over the new variant, stating: “I don’t think we’re in an emergency situation.

“We’re in a worrying situation and we’re taking a series of actions as quickly as possible so that we don’t reach an emergency situation.”

Weighing in on the subject of mandatory vaccines, Alroy-Preis reiterated her opposition to mandatory vaccines for all of the country’s residents.

“We in the Health Ministry must do all we can to make the vaccines accessible, to explain, to show the statistics,” she told Ynet.

“I don’t think we need to require vaccines, but I imagine that over time we will have to weigh different directions. I don’t think we need to get to that situation.”

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