Twitter Users Divided as Israel Begins Vaccinating Children Aged 5 to 11 Against COVID-19
© AFP 2023 / JACK GUEZ
Subscribe
According to official data, more than 500,000 children have contracted the virus since its outbreak in Israel in February 2020. But a recent poll reveals that 52 percent of Israelis are neither willing, nor inclined to have their children inoculated.
On Monday, Israel rolled out its mass vaccination campaign for children aged 5 to 11, after nearly a million Pfizer doses arrived in the country on Saturday.
Israel's health organisations have already opened up their registration lists, with tens of thousands submitting their names. Authorities claim the vaccination of the younger population is a necessary step for herd immunity. But many ordinary Israelis are still split over the necessity of the shots.
Supporting the Move
Some are supportive of the decision, citing health concerns.
One tweep wrote: "...You need to vaccinate them because 206 kids have contracted COVID-19 [since the outbreak of the disease - ed.]. 11 children have died. One out of seven are suffering from long COVID. 150 children got PIMS [Coronavirus syndrome - ed.], with two of them dying as a result of the complication."
Another one added: "It is a healthy instinct to stay safe when there is a danger. There are two things that can help us to tilt the scales in our favour: a booster shot and the vaccination for children from 5 to 18."
אינסטינקט בריא, להישמר כשיש סכנה.
— Catlover (@Catlove40476297) November 21, 2021
אני מקווה שדי ברור לממשלות שיש שני דברים שיכולים להטות את הכף, גם עכשיו - חיסוני ילדים (5-18) ובוסטרים.
According to official data, more than 500,000 children until the age of 18 have contracted the virus since its outbreak in Israel in February 2020.
Doubts Run High
But many Israelis are not convinced with the numbers, and say the threat of COVID-19 facing children is largely exaggerated.
"... due to the arrival of child vaccines - as part of an agreement with Pfizer to send your children to an experimental lab - [authorities will now start] a borderless media campaign [featuring] stories of terrible morbidity among children with false data about their difficult condition. Be smart! Do not vaccinate your children," wrote one mother posting a photo with her daughter.
פרסום שני: עקב הגעת חיסוני ילדים דרך חילול השבת הקדושה- כחלק מחתימת הסכם עם פייזר לשלוח את ילדיכם למעבדת ניסוי, יחל מבצע תקשורתי חסר גבולות עם סיפורי תחלואה איומה בקרב ילדים עם נתונים כוזבים על מצבם הקשה, הכל כדי שתרוצו לחסן את ילדיכם בפאניקה.
— רות שמחה בוארון (@ruthbuaron) November 21, 2021
תהיו חכמים! אל תחסנו את ילדיכם. pic.twitter.com/K7yAtmzU8M
"The children's vaccines - there is no such a thing as a 'wave among children'. The children's vaccines landed on Saturday but no one wants to vaccinate their kids so they [authorities] started with the brainwashing. Enough to those lies! Simply enough," wrote another Twitter user.
חיסוני הילדים - אין שום 'גל ילדים' חיסוני הילדים נחתו בשבת ואף אחד לא רוצה לחסן את הילדים אז מתחילים עם שטיפות המוח.
— אורלי 🌼🌻🌼 (@orlior2) November 20, 2021
די לשקרים!!!
פשוט די.
"It is surprising that there is an increase in COVID-19 cases, just in time when vaccines are being approved for the use of kids. Really surprising."
מפתיע שיש עליה בדיוק בזמן שמאשרים חיסוני ילדים, ממש מפתיע
— erez gueta (@erezgueta69) November 18, 2021
At the end of October a poll conducted by Meuhedet, one of the leading public health organisations in Israel, revealed that 52 percent of Israeli parents said they were either certain or were inclined not to have their children vaccinated. 48 percent stated they would have their kids inoculated.
Israeli authorities are aware of the large numbers of people, who are not willing to have their children take the jab. For now, there is no plan to impose a mandate and this is the reason why Israel has opened a large-scale campaign that includes billboards and media advocacy in a bid to convince the public that shots for kids are the right step forward.
However, many believe it is only a matter of time until parents will be left with very few choices. In the past, such was the case with the booster shot that was initially been introduced as an option and that later became a condition for entering public places and private businesses.
1 November 2021, 07:25 GMT
Similarly, those who refused to inoculate youngsters from 12 to 18 were eventually asked to fork out a pretty penny for PCR tests that have become a requirement across Israel.
And now, parents are concerned that similar tactics will be deployed with regards to the younger population.
Should that happen, Israelis might take to the streets again. But as the number of COVID-19 patients keeps climbing, authorities might have no choice but to force the public to get vaccinated.
