Top Israeli scientist warns: Fourth wave will be ‘deadlier than anyone predicted’
Weizmann Institute’s Eran Segal said the UK must prepare for a surge in infections by encouraging 'vaccine-refuseniks' to get the jab and giving out boosters to the vulnerable
A top scientist advising Israel on its pandemic response has alerted the world that the fourth coronavirus wave will be “deadlier than anyone predicted.”
The Weizmann Institute’s Eran Segal issued a stark warning this week as cases surge in Israel, and the effectiveness of the double Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was “waning”.
Writing for MailOnline, he said the country is responding with booster jabs, but Israel’s experiences “have several implications for Britain” and other nations.
Segal urged countries to “redouble their efforts to persuade vaccine-refuseniks” to get a jab, while ensuring boosters are given to the vulnerable.
“It would be wise to act now to prevent a deadly wave in the UK”, he said.
This comes after a huge surge in cases in Israel, with more than 6,000 cases a day on average. So far 6,752 deaths have been recorded, including 29 yesterday. He also highlighted that waves in France and Iran have been “deadlier than anyone predicted”.
Saying Israel was “cautiously hopeful” that by vaccinating most of its population it had beaten the virus, Segal said it is “seeing that the combination of a highly transmittable variant, reduced vaccine effectiveness and the 15 per cent of those eligible for the vaccine who remain unvaccinated has changed the course of the pandemic”.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.