A recent Foreign Ministry of Israel announcement stated their agreement with the European Union, where both Israel and the EU will accept the others vaccination certificates, easing the traveling process, and providing a hopeful return to tourism.
The agreement will be built on a technology infrastructure that transfers information between countries to ensure vaccination certificates are valid, likely beginning in October. This would allow only the vaccinated to enter countries in agreement with the EU, which includes Morocco and Turkey.
While global collaboration is positive, the recent FDA announcement regarding the third booster shot is in misalignment with Israel’s recent finding. While Pfizer requested broad approval for ages 16 and up, the FDA rejected the request, approving the third booster only for those 65 and up or with a high risk of severe illness. Israel continues to push the third booster shot to all ages 12 and up. Israel is also considering making the third shot mandatory to be eligible for a Green Passport. The campaign, which started in August 2021, was expanded after only a month.
Over 3 million people in Israel have already received a third booster shot, with talks of a fourth shot already hitting headlines. Since July, numbers from the Health Ministry show that 1,011 people have died from coronavirus, 54% who died received two doses of the vaccine, while 40% were unvaccinated. Many questions remain open-ended as to what is appropriate, just, and in the public’s best interest.
