Children and COVID-19 Research Library

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spread to almost all countries, with many severely affected. Vaccines, in general, have proven their profound value in preventing illnesses and terminating epidemics, as seen for example in measles, polio and smallpox. Vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are already showing a significant positive impact on the number of COVID-19 cases in countries with a rapid and effective roll-out of vaccinations. Israel is among world leaders, with an effective vaccination campaign that began at the end of December 2020. Vaccines are free of charge and given to all adults. Indeed, as of 13 May 2021, 63% of the population have received at least one dose and 59% are fully vaccinated.1 Vaccine coverage is lower in minorities in Israel but steadily increasing, as seen for example in the Arab population: in mid-February 2021, 19% were vaccinated with at least one dose, while by May 2021, 54% were already fully vaccinated. Accordingly, the daily number of new COVID-19 cases in Israel has declined from 10 000 at the peak of the third wave in January 2021 to less than 100 in May this year