Those arriving to Israel may bring in vaccine-resistant mutation,
report says.
The IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate on Saturday evening published a warning that combining mass vaccination with a spike in infections could lead to a strain of COVID-19 that will resist the vaccines currently in use.
The report recommends requiring anyone landing in Israel to quarantine, even if they have recovered from coronavirus or received the vaccine.
“The mass vaccination program, which is happening at the same time as an active outbreak in Israel, may lead to evolutionary stress on the virus,” the report said. It noted that “this situation may cause that mutations offering the virus a certain protection against immunity (whether from the vaccine or disease) will spread significantly among the population, if they appear.”
“We should consider treating those who were vaccinated or recovered from coronavirus in a similar fashion upon their arrival in Israel, at least with regards to testing them and possibly even [requiring] a shortened quarantine, since if they are infected with a problematic mutation, they are liable to spread it among the population.”
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is demanding an immediate and complete closure of Ben Gurion International Airport, due to the spread of various mutations among the Israeli population.
In a Saturday night meeting, Netanyahu is demanding that anyone who wishes to fly anywhere abroad, for any reason and on any date, be required to receive permission from an Exceptions Committee. This would extend even after the end of Israel’s current lockdown, and until further notice.
Meanwhile, the airport is preparing to partially close within 24 to 48 hours.
(Arutz 7).
