PM Nafatli Bennett
PM Nafatli BennettYonatan Sindel/Flash90

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett urged Israelis over 50 to get vaccinated with the third dose of the COVID vaccine as quickly as possible, warning that failure to do so could put their lives at risk.

In an audio recording distributed via social media networks and Whatsapp groups, Bennett said it is vitally important not only for elderly Israelis to get the third dose of the Pfizer – BioNTech vaccine, but also for middle-aged Israelis ages fifty to sixty.

“Hi, this is the Prime Minister here,” Bennett said in the recording. “I am calling on older people in the public, especially people over sixty, but also people fifty and up, who haven’t yet gotten the third shot, the booster, to tell them: your lives and your health are very important to me, but so long as you haven’t gotten vaccinated with the third dose, you are in mortal danger. Go out and get vaccinated.”

On Thursday, a Ministry of Health committee recommended that the booster shots be offered to Israelis in the 50 to 60 age group, as well as to medical workers, prisoners, and people with certain pre-existing conditions.