Covid-19 Burden Now Heaviest On Israel's Youth

After weeks of single digit Covid-19 cases, Israel is experiencing a new coronavirus spike. New case numbers have now risen to over 400 a day due to the highly transmissible Delta variant. Previously, older generations were more at risk from and harder hit by Covid-19 but this time around, the burden has shifted to younger unvaccinated Israelis, with major outbreaks reported in schools.

60 percent of Israel's population is now fully vaccinated and the jabs are continuing to provide most people with strong protection. That has seen the Delta variant spread primarily among younger people with 40 percent of all cases in the month up to July 05 occurring in the 10-19 age group, according to health ministry information published in the journal Nature. A further 11.8 percent of cases occurred among Israelis aged nine years old or younger.

While rising case rates in a country with such far-reaching vaccination coverage has been cause for concern, only 47 out of 4,000 active cases nationally are considered serious. Nevertheless, Israeli Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said that a booster shot will be offered to all adults suffering from immunodeficiency, who have received a recent organ transplant or who are generally considered to be at risk.