Israel begins this week to inoculate children ages 5 to 11 against the coronavirus.
Pediatric doses of Pfizer Bio-N-Tech’s COVID-19 vaccine were expected to arrive in the Jewish State on Sunday.
Children will start receiving the shots on Tuesday, the Health Ministry announced.
Children ages 12 and up are already receiving the two-shot vaccination, as well as a third follow up booster shot.
As of Friday (Nov. 20) the Health Ministry said that some 5.76 million Israelis had received both shots of the vaccine; 4 million have received the third booster shot as well.
Health Ministry director-general Professor Nachman Ash said on Saturday night there will be no restrictions on holiday events this Chanukah.
The decision was made despite a slight rise in the number of coronavirus infections.
“This rise is disturbing, especially if it continues and the infection coefficient rises above 1.1. That is the point which signals a development in infections,” Ashman told Israel’s Channel 13 News.
“We will sit and think whether we need to change something regarding Hanukkah,” he said, but added that at this point no restrictions are planned. “If the infection coefficient remains around one, I don’t see a need to take any [limiting] steps,” he said.
The “reproduction rate” — also known as the “R” number — has climbed to 1.02, meaning that for every person infected with the virus, 1.02 more people are infected as well. Any number higher than 1.0 indicates the infection rate is on the rise.
