Israel and the coronavirus: Vulnerable again – and yet calm

More than 60 percent of the 9.3 million Israelis are fully vaccinated – but the Delta mutant makes the country vulnerable again. Because BioNTech / Pfizer only offers 64 percent protection. Now the third dose of the vaccine should come.

The shaky cell phone pictures caused a sensation in Israel: They show a class party at the end of the school year. Young women and men dance and release balloons. This party was a corona superspreading event. More than 80 people were infected that evening – all from the same classmate.

The pandemic in Israel was recently considered defeated. The number of new infections every day was under 10. The government had lifted all restrictions. The party made headlines for its chain of infection. The young man who infected everyone was fully vaccinated. He himself had been infected by a relative who had also been vaccinated. This in turn had been infected by a vaccinated person who had traveled from London.

Trusted in the vaccination quota

Contagion despite vaccination – the Delta mutant makes Israel vulnerable again. In the “world vaccination championship” they were proud of the fact that more than 60 percent of the 9.3 million residents had complete vaccination protection. All with BioNTech / Pfizer and many of them since December or January – so for more than half a year.

This period of time could be part of the problem, says Professor Arnon Afek from Sheba Hospital in Tel Aviv: “BioNTech / Pfizer protects against the alpha variant with more than 90 percent. Against Delta, however, only 64 percent. Our studies also show that many who were vaccinated in December or January have few or no antibodies left. ” Nevertheless, the expert continues to rely on vaccination in the fight against the pandemic and warns against panic. “I believe that even in people who have been vaccinated and in whom antibodies are no longer detectable, the memory of the immune defense remains stored in the cells. This enables them to fight it much better in the event of an illness.”

In fact, the number of new infections every day rose to 750, but there were very few strong cases among them. The conclusion of the Israeli studies: The vaccination is more permeable at Delta, but prevents more than 90 percent of the disease progression.

The third vaccination is coming

In response, Israel became the first country to begin offering immunocompromised adults a third dose of vaccine. “So far, this has been the case for people with organ transplants or cancer,” says Professor Afek. “But I am sure that the third booster will come soon for everyone who has been vaccinated.”

At the same time, vaccinations for 12 to 15 year olds are being promoted with special campaigns. For example, right on the beach in Haifa there is a brightly painted container in which children from the age of twelve can be vaccinated. Spontaneously, without an appointment.

No need of conviction

The offer has been well received. Again and again families stop walking on the beach. 14-year-old Linor Dibi stopped by with her parents and little brother Liam. Linor doesn’t hesitate for a second: “I finally want to feel safe again.” The nine-year-old Liam looks jealously after her as she disappears into the container.

On this day the black flags fly on the beach, saying that the current is too strong and swimming is therefore prohibited. Matkot, a beach ball game, popular in Israel, is banned on large signs. Right next to the prohibition sign, two young men loudly play the Matkot rubber ball with their wooden clubs. The water is teeming with people.

Israelis like to casually interpret bans as recommendations. This became a problem when dealing with Corona, because not everyone adhered to the mask requirement or quarantine rules. At the same time, the discipline in vaccination is high. For Avi Cohen this is due to the fact that the vaccination campaign was organized in a tightly military manner. “We are army and crisis experts. When it comes down to it, we implement things efficiently and without delay.”

A challenge at the airports

Avi Cohen has had a military career himself. Now the big, beefy man is standing at Ben Gurion Airport. Solid as a rock for thousands of people arriving and departing. He is mandated by the government to prevent the introduction of the virus. 92 percent of all long-haul trips go through the only international airport. Cohen says, “Corona places demands on health checks like the 9/11 attack on security controls.”

Strict entry restrictions apply to Israel. Anyone with a permit must be quarantined at home or in a hotel after baggage claim for the PCR test and until the result is obtained. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has urged his compatriots, who love to travel, to stay in the country: “We assume that most of the countries for which you are about to order flight tickets will soon become ‘red countries’. So don’t buy the tickets in the first place. ”

The Israelis should rather play matkot on their own beaches under prohibition signs – as long as they discipline themselves in the fight against the pandemic.

You can see these and other reports in Weltspiegel – at 7:20 p.m. in Das Erste.