Myocarditis after BNT162b2 Vaccination in Israeli Adolescents [Letter to the Editor - The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), March 2022]

Title:

Myocarditis after BNT162b2 Vaccination in Israeli Adolescents

 

Authors:

Dror Mevorach, Emilia Anis, Tal Hasin, Michal Bromberg [et al]

 

Published:

The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), 10 March 2022

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2116999

[Published as a Letter to the Editor]

 

From the Letter to the Editor:

Using an active nationwide surveillance system administered by the Israeli Ministry of Health, we previously found a higher incidence of myocarditis among persons 16 years of age or older who had received the BNT162b2 vaccine (Pfizer–BioNTech) than among historical controls and unvaccinated persons; the incidence was highest among young male recipients.

The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination: what can Canada learn from Israel? [Scholarly Article - Israel Journal of Health Policy Research, February 2021]

Title:

The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination: what can Canada learn from Israel?

 

Author:

Gregory P. Marchildon

University of Toronto

 

Published:

Israel Journal of Health Policy Research, 17 February 2021

https://ijhpr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13584-021-00449-x

 

Abstract:

This commentary compares Israel’s COVID-10 vaccination response to the much slower and less successful vaccination campaign in Canada. Although Canada did start with some structural disadvantages relative to Israel including less centralized and coherent emergency planning and a more complex demographic geography, there are, nonetheless, some important policy lessons Canada can draw from Israel. These include a more strategic use of national leadership in the vaccination campaign and the greater use of primary care resources and providers.

Scholarly Article - Increased COVID-19 Vaccination Hesitancy and Health Awareness amid COVID-19 Vaccinations Programs in Israel (by M. Shacham et al.)

Title:

Increased COVID-19 Vaccination Hesitancy and Health Awareness amid COVID-19 Vaccinations Programs in Israel 

 

Authors:

Maayan Shacham, Lee Greenblatt-Kimron, Yaira Hamama-Raz, Leslie R. Martin, Oren Peleg, Menachem Ben-Ezra & Eitan Mijiritsky

 

Published:

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, published: 6 April 2021

https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/7/3804

 

Abstract:

In January 2021, Israel started vaccinating healthcare workers (HCWs) and individuals older than 65 years with COVID-19 vaccines. Scientific literature points to vaccine hesitancy as being a major health concern. During time of pandemics, increased consciousness of health behaviors may be encountered. The current study aimed to assess attitudes to general vaccines and to COVID-19 vaccines in particular among adult (>18) Israeli general public, and among Israeli dentists and dental hygienists. Cross-sectional surveys were filled out by a total of 501 participants (361 Israeli adults >18 years, 73 dental hygienists, and 67 dentists). Along with basic demographics, participants responded to the Hebrew VAX, COVID-VAX and HCS scales. Group comparisons were analyzed using t tests and ANOVAs with Scheffe’s test used for post hoc comparisons. Dental hygienists demonstrated significantly higher anti-vaccinations approaches than both dentists (p < 0.01) and the general public (p < 0.05). In all groups, attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccines were more negative compared to attitudes towards general vaccines, with hygienists demonstrating significant negative attitudes compared to dentists (p < 0.05). The general public (p = 0.56) and hygienists demonstrated increased health awareness compared to dentists (p < 0.05). As health awareness has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic primary strategies to combat vaccine hesitancy should be implemented in the general public, and in particular, an dental teams.