Israel has already administered three vaccine shots, including booster doses, to over four million citizens of its 9.2 million population.
Israel has recorded a new Covid-19 variant following RT-PCR tests at the Ben Gurion airport, according to media reports. The new variant combines the BA.1 and BA.2 sub-strains of the Omicron variant. Hybrid variants of Covid-19 are not uncommon and were earlier found in case of the Deltacron strain, which combined the Delta and Omicron variants. A combination occurs when two viruses infecting the same cell multiply and exchange genetic material to create a new virus.
The new variant is still unknown, the country’s Ministry of Health reportedly said, allaying fears over the new strain. Salman Zarka, head of the country’s Covid-19 response, played down fears about the new strain leading to a fresh spurt in serious cases. The phenomenon of combined strains is well known, reports quoted him as saying.
Israel has already administered three vaccine shots, including booster doses, to over four million citizens of its 9.2 million population. The country has recorded nearly 1.4 million cases of infections, including 8,244 deaths. In December 2020, Israel was among the first countries to launch a national vaccination campaign. Earlier this month, it announced fourth vaccine shots for health workers and people over 60 amid a surge in cases driven by the Omicron variant.
Several countries, including China, Singapore, and South Korea have witnessed a spurt in infections in recent weeks. While China’s outbreak appeared to be slowing this week, daily new infections in South Korea reached a record 621,328.
On Wednesday, India’s Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya called a high-level meeting to track the country’s preparedness and alertness as several Asian countries reported a fresh surge. While the Omicron and Delta variants dominated the Asian wave, the BA.2 sub-strain has sparked fears of a revival of pandemic risks in Asia and Europe. The sub-strain has rapidly spread in Austria and Germany, with German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach warning that the outbreak had shown signs of causing “many deaths”.
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On Wednesday, India began the Covid-19 vaccination drive for children in the 12-14 age group. According to the Union Health Ministry, 2.16 lakh doses of Biological E’s Corbevax vaccine were administered on the first day.