As More Than a Million in Israel Vaccinated With Third Dose, Tweeps Are Divided Over Its Necessity

Over the weekend, 100,000 Israelis were administered a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Meanwhile, many are reluctant to take it, not only because of health concerns but also due to their political views.

Israel is forging ahead with its campaign to administer a third dose of COVID vaccines to the nation.

Over the weekend, some 100,000 Israelis received a third dose of the Pfizer jab, bringing the total number to nearly 1.4 million.

The spike in the number of vaccinated comes after a fierce media campaign by the Israeli authorities, and them earlier this month expanding the range of people eligible for the dose by giving it out to those 40 and older.

Meanwhile, the situation in Israel continues to be a cause for concern. On Saturday, the country registered nearly 8,000 new coronavirus cases, pushing the total number of those sick with the virus to 67,500. Some 645 are in critical condition, while 155 are connected to ventilators.

To curb the spread of the disease, authorities in Israel are pinning their hopes on the third dose but many Israelis are still reluctant to get it.

Third Vaccine Dose is a Boon

On Twitter and other social media networks, the third dose has become the subject of a lively debate among Israelis, with Tweeps largely divided over whether it is actually needed.

Some are supportive of the idea to give Israelis a boost by administering the third dose.

"Third shot + second shot. Leave nonsense behind and go to get vaccinated", wrote one Twitter user, posting a photo of himself with what seems to be his daughter after the two got a jab.

חיסון שלישי + חיסון שני.
עזבו שטויות, לכו להתחסן. pic.twitter.com/VfxcpCDHf4

— Kobi Mizrahi (@kobimiz100) August 20, 2021

עשיתי חיסון שלישי כי אני צריך לשמור על עצמי, כי אני צריך לשמור על הבנות שלי, וכי אני צריך לשמור על החברה הישראלית. סולידריות היא ערך, והחיסון - שמגן גם עליך אבל גם על הזולת - הוא הזדמנות מעולה לממש אותו. pic.twitter.com/E6pb4CSdVZ

— Haim Har-Zahav (@haimhz) August 20, 2021

Another Shot? Not Again

The catch is that not many Israelis embrace these views, and some are sharing the reasons they think getting a third vaccine dose is simply out of the question.

There are those who prefer to skip it for health reasons, especially as the medical community is still debating whether a booster is efficient.

לא מתחסנים חיסון שלישי מסוכן ומיותר. אנחנו נעשה סגר בבתי הספר -לא שולחים ילדים לבתי ספר. חד וחלק! סגר עד מציאת חיסון חדש וטוב נגד זנים חדשים של קורונה. החיסון השלישי לא יעיל נקודה!

— יוענה רטוש (@jratosh) August 15, 2021

Others claim they refuse to take it because of their moral values that won't allow them do so, when there are still people, primarily from low- and middle-income countries that are still waiting for their first jab.

נגד חיסון שלישי, כשהעולם והשכנים הכי קרובים אלינו צריכים חיסונים הרבה יותר מאיתנו

— Gal Yoffe (@GalYoffe) August 20, 2021

But there are also those who put their their reluctance down to political reasons.

"Third dose ... it concerns me. Does not feel safe, because of who stands at the helm. Even if they show me that the Pfizer bottle is valid. What do I do?"

מנה שלישית... חוששת. לא מרגישה בטוחה, בגלל מי שבהנהגה. אפילו אם יראו לי שהבקבוקון של פייזר ושהוא בתוקף. מה עושים? 🤔

— liat carmon (@CarmonLiat) August 15, 2021

ביבי מחסן 250 אלף ביום
לטא עובד בשבת
בנט מחסן 50 אלף בשבוע כולל שבתות
אפילו השמאל יודעים שאתה נוכל
אני לא מתחסן כי אני מפחד ממך שתזריק לי חור מהול פג תוקף#נוכל_תתפטר

— נוכל תתפטר עוצליגוצלי🇮🇱‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎🇮🇱‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ ‎‎ (@romic_48) August 14, 2021

Bennett, who assumed office in mid-June after forging a coalition with the liberal party Yesh Atid, has been slammed for what's believed to be his mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic. 

His government did introduce a number of measures aimed at curbing the spread of the virus. They reintroduced face masks indoors, limited the amount of people in gatherings, either indoors or outdoors, and tightened travel restrictions. 

Yet, for many in Israel these measures were introduced too late and were far from making an impact. 

On Saturday, a poll conducted by Israel's Channel 12 revealed that a majority of Israelis, some 60 percent, believed the government led by Bennett was mismanaging the pandemic. Only 35 percent said they eyed the authorities' conduct as positive.

Earlier this month, another poll found that only 23 percent of respondents said that Bennett was managing the situation. In comparison, Netanyahu received 44 percent of votes.