Public Health

People in Israel and Bahrain lose their vaccination status without a booster vaccination

A medic from the Israeli medical service Magen David Adom will administer the third vaccination of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in Holon on August 24, 2021.

Ahmad Gharabli | AFP | Getty Images

Israel and Bahrain want eligible residents to get their Covid Booster vaccinations – and those who don’t risk losing their fully vaccinated status and privileges.

In Israel, vaccinated people receive a so-called “Green Pass”, which gives them access to hotels, restaurants and many other indoor locations.

People who have recovered from Covid-19 can also get a green passport under other guidelines.

On October 3rd, Israel changed the criteria for the Green Pass and shortened its validity. According to a government recommendation, the passport expires six months after a person receives their second dose.

“Anyone who had a green passport and does not meet the new criteria after 3/10 will lose the green passport,” a spokesman for the Israeli Ministry of Health told CNBC.

A third shot must be administered before a new green passport can be issued, at least a week after the refresher. This pass also expires six months after the third dose.

It is unclear whether more booster vaccinations may be needed in the future to be considered fully vaccinated. The health ministry spokesman said the development of the virus situation and morbidity will determine the “continued validity of the green passport” six months after the third dose.

Protests against the new policy broke out in Israel and an estimated 2 million could lose their green pass, the Associated Press reported.

Divided into boosters

Bahrain has different criteria for each of the vaccines it offers. However, most people over the age of 18 are entitled to a booster dose six months after the second dose.

Data from the kingdom found that from July 1 to October 1, 52% of those infected did not take a booster dose. In comparison, 3% of confirmed cases were in people who received a third dose.

“It is therefore clear that booster vaccinations increase immunity,” said a government press release.

– CNBC’s Berkeley Lovelace Jr., Rich Mendez, Natasha Turak, and Robert Towey contributed to this report.

This story has been updated with comments from the Israel Ministry of Health that came after the article was first published.

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