The latest wave of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections in Israel has raised concerns, given that the nation is one of the most vaccinated countries in the world. The new wave of infections is believed to be driven by the Delta variant that first emerged in India, accounting for roughly 90 percent of cases.
Around 55 percent of the country’s 9.3 million people have been fully vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The breakthrough cases, or infections in fully vaccinated people, account for around 40 to 50 percent of new COVID-19 cases, Prof. Chezy Levy, the Director-General of the Health Ministry, said in an interview with local radio.
Prof. Levy added that the figure is concerning. “Even though the numbers are low, the fact that this is reaching vaccinated people means… that we are still checking how many vaccinated people have also been infected,” Levy said.