Israel to Begin Vaccinating Recovered COVID Patients

The Health Ministry has given the green light to Israelis who recovered from coronavirus to receive one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, starting from Tuesday. 

The new guidelines will apply to anybody aged over 16 who recovered from the coronavirus three or more months ago. 

Similarly to those who have recovered from the virus, those who caught coronavirus following their first dose will not be required to get a second shot. 

In Israel, a total of 750,000 people have recovered from the virus.

At the beginning of Israel's vaccination drive, it was decided to exclude recovered COVID-19 patients from the immunization efforts in order to prioritize other groups.

As the inoculation campaign has continued apace,with over half of the population receiving at least one dose, Israel has decided to follow the World Health Organization advice and change course.  

The medical data, including from Pfizer's experiments, indicates that the vaccine does not pose a danger recovering patients.

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At this stage, however, it is unclear how long recovered coronavirus patients enjoy immunity, and how the degree of immunity changes over time. 

Some experts believe that the vaccines are likely to be immune for years, while others believe that the population may need to be vaccinated annually, much like a seasonal flu vaccine.

The available data also indicates that cases of reinfection with the virus are extremely rare, which reinforces the notion that recovery provides immunity for at least a short period.