Meuhedet, one of Israel's four health funds, has recommended that the Health Ministry only issue "Green Passports" two weeks after the second dose of the vaccine, instead of the current one week, Israel Hayom reported.
The recommendation is based on data collected from 100,000 people, which showed that the chance of infection with coronavirus remains high in the first two weeks after the vaccine, but drops sharply 14 days after the second dose.
The data showed that out of 102,150 people who received the second dose, 459 were diagnosed with coronavirus Of those, 254 were diagnosed within the first week after the second dose, and 122 were diagnosed within the second week after its receipt. Over the next three weeks, 21-41 people were diagnosed each week. The data showed that 82% of those diagnosed after receipt of the second dose were diagnosed within the first 14 days after they received it.
After one week, the chance of contracting coronavirus stands at 0.2%, but it drops to 0.08% two weeks after the second dose. Meuhedet's data also showed that one week after the second dose, the vaccine is 79.3% effective, and within the second week, it is 89.3% effective. After 14 days, the vaccine is 96% effective at preventing infection.
"We discovered 122 people who were walking around with a Green Passport and who were diagnosed within this week," Dr. Dudi Mosinzon, VP, Director of the Medical Division at Meuhedet, said. "The reduction in risk between the first week and second week is very significant."
"Removal of the social distancing restrictions and implementation of the Green Passport beginning on the eighth day after the second dose is too early, and may cause additional waves of infection," he warned, adding that, "Hundreds of people who received the second dose but are not yet two weeks from its receipt will have restrictions eased and will - innocently - go to events in enclosed spaces with many attendees...and they may infect those around them."
He added: "There is no reason to cancel the easing of restrictions - just to delay their application to those vaccinated until the beginning of the third week from when they received the second dose, and not rely on a waiting period of one week from the receipt of the second dose."
"We conclude that you are responsible not only for your own health but also for that of those around you. You are not completely protected and you may infect others. You have a personal responsibility towards those around you.
Changing the definition of who is immune by vaccination has come up in the Health Ministry's advisory committee for issues regarding the coronavirus vaccine, but there it was decided to rely on Pfizer's decision that a person is immune beginning seven days after his second dose.
Dr. David Dvir, Head Of Primary Care Division at Meuhedet and a member of the advisory committee, said: "The committee did not yet have all the data, but did have data that showed this trend from the hospitals."
"A person who was vaccinated one week ago and goes to visit Grandma and Grandpa needs to know that there is a chance that he is endangering them, and therefore it is preferable to avoid it for one more week, rather than going and raising the chance of infecting elderly people. There is definitely a recommendation to avoid inter-generation meetings until two weeks after the second dose."