Israel's top health adviser says the surge of Omicron cases could see the
country reach Covid herd immunity.

Nachmann Ash said the country would pay a price for this and he wanted to
see herd immunity achieved via vaccinations instead.

Modellers have warned that up to four million people could be infected by
the end of January.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has admitted his current policy will not
prevent a big rise in infections.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-59853772

On Sunday, he said a fourth Covid-19 vaccine would be offered to people
over 60 as well as medical staff.

The prime minister has previously insisted the aim is to prevent a spike
in serious illness while keeping the economy open, even though he has not
ruled out another lockdown.

Confirmed daily infections in Israel have quadrupled to more than 3,500 in
10 days, but the number of deaths has not seen a similar rise.

Herd immunity is a scientific term describing the point at which a
population is protected from a disease, either by enough people being
vaccinated or by people having developed antibodies by having the disease.

Prof Ash said a surge in Omicron cases was inevitable.

"The price of herd immunity is very many infections, and that may end up
happening. The numbers need to be high to reach herd immunity, it's
something that is possible," he said.

"But we don't want to reach it by means of infections, we want it to
happen as a result of many people vaccinating."

Salman Zarka, head of the health ministry's coronavirus taskforce, said
herd immunity was not guaranteed.

"We have to be very cautious with this particularly in light of our
experience over the past two years in which we saw people who have
recovered be re-infected," Mr Zarka told the Ynet news website.

Meanwhile another government adviser, Eran Segal from the Weizmann
Institute, warned that cases would soon outstrip Israel's testing
capacity, leaving the country unable to identify new infections.

He predicted that between two and four million people would be infected
over the coming three weeks - but that a lower number of people would
suffer severe illness than in the previous wave.

He urged people to get vaccinated.

"Everyone who walks around, no matter where, will be exposed and should be
protected," he tweeted.

### - with only a small population israel was among the first to vaccinate
the majority of its citizens, and they were very hopeful about that... and
yet here they are 'now' arriving at the clear realisation that omicron is
gonna infect 'everyone' there regardless... and which, because of that,
could even very rapidly create the circumstances of their reaching herd
immunity via 'infection' as opposed to vaccination...

that omicron is unstoppable is no longer a debate, the only question
remaining now is whether or not an infection from it will produce immunity
to 'other' forms of covid (and to itself) too?

that, in that (rather hopeful) sense, omicron 'itself' might/could just
turn out to be the 'cure' that's gonna put this pandemic behind us!

for sure it's a long-shot, but it's not such a bad bet either coz it
'might' just happen...

and would be a very neat/elegant solution, no? (saved our ass!)

could even sow the seeds for treating future pandemics if this is what
happens...

if it all goes wrong, otoh, then... yak!

the mob will be LOOKING for ya boris!

haha :))))

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS3l_TwPNRY