Live Update arrow right icon From the Liveblog of Sunday, April 11, 2021

93 doctors sign letter urging government to hold off on vaccinating children

11 April 2021, 4:31 pm 1 Edit
In an attempt to battle the measles outbreak, some countries in Europe have enacted laws making vaccinating children mandatory. (Illustrative. Miriam Alster/FLASH90)
In an attempt to battle the measles outbreak, some countries in Europe have enacted laws making vaccinating children mandatory. (Illustrative. Miriam Alster/FLASH90)

A group of 93 doctors have signed on to a letter urging the government to hold off on vaccinating children below the age of 16 until more is learned about the coronavirus and the inoculation’s impact.

The letter comes against the backdrop of Pfizer’s request for emergency approval from the FDA to allow for the vaccination of 12- to 15-year-olds.

In their letter, the doctors call for the continued vaccination of vulnerable populations and claim that it is still possible to fully reopen the economy even without vaccinating children who are less likely to become ill from the virus.

“There must be a recognition that we do not understand everything about the virus, the vaccine against it and that the first commandment of medicine is first do no harm,” the doctors say.

Among the letter’s signatories are Dr. Amir Shachar, emergency room director at Netanya’s Laniado Hospital, Dr. Yoav Yehezkeli, an expert in internal medicine and a lecturer at Tel Aviv University, and Dr. Avi Mizrahi, intensive care unit director at Rehovot’s Kaplan Medical Center.

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