Israel started Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine rollout for children aged between 5 and 11 years on Monday in an attempt to curb a recent rise in COVID infections.

Over the past two weeks, the reproduction rate of the coronavirus, which continued to be less than one for two months, started increasing and has crossed that threshold. This suggests that the virus could again be spreading rapidly. Daily case numbers have increased over the past few days, and half of the confirmed cases have been reported among children aged 11 years and below.

Scientists and officials in the country doubt that Israel will be able to reach herd immunity unless children are vaccinated… (Reuters, November 22, 2021)