277 Israelis hospitalized due to flu, 15 in intensive care
In Israel, 277 people have been hospitalized due to the flu, with 15 in intensive care. Many cannot get vaccinated due to a shortage of vaccines at clinics. Health funds attribute this to delays in global shipments. The vaccination rate stands at 4.1% of the population.
A flu outbreak has been recorded in Israel: 277 people have been hospitalized, 15 of them in intensive care units. Among the hospitalized are 221 adults, 54 children, and two pregnant women. In the week ending October 10, 66 new cases of influenza A were registered among hospital patients. Meanwhile, many Israelis cannot get vaccinated due to a shortage of vaccines at clinics. A patient of the Clalit health fund reported being unable to schedule a vaccination through the app. Health funds explain the difficulties as delays in global shipments related to the late approval of vaccine compositions by the WHO. Clalit claims the vaccine is already available in 90% of its 1,500 clinics. As of October 11, 409,664 people had been vaccinated — 4.1% of the population. Among those over 65, 16.7% have been vaccinated; among teenagers aged 13–18, 1%. There is also a reported shortage of enhanced vaccines for the elderly: health funds ordered only 37,500 doses for the entire season, which is insufficient. The Ministry of Health recommends not delaying vaccination while waiting for a specific preparation.