Dr. Meshulam Hart, the “doctor of Gedolei Yisrael,” published a letter on Tuesday in the name of the Gedolei Yisrael calling for children over 12 to be vaccinated. “In light of the current fear of a renewed outbreak of the virus, especially among unvaccinated students and young teenagers, and after we presented the varying medical opinions about the issue to HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky and HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein, they instructed the following to be publicized,” Dr. Hart wrote. “Since this issue endangers others, and may even be a matter of pikuach nefesh, including those who are ill and the elderly, and especially since there is a real danger of bittul Torah and the closure of schools and yeshivos, chas v’chalilah, all male and female students from the age of 12 and up – who aren’t certain that they were already ill with COVID – should be vaccinated at the instruction of the doctors.” “And they should be zocheh to good health, they and all their descendants should live, and those who heed the voice of chachamim will dwell securely and will never stumble.” Dr. Hart added: “The text of this letter was shown to the Gedolim and they instructed that it be publicized.” On Tuesday, as part of an effort to expand the vaccination campaign for young teens, Prof. Ron Balicer, head of the vaccination campaign in Israel and a senior adviser to the coronavirus cabinet, and Dr. Itai Pesach, director of the Safra Children’s Hospital at Sheba, visited the home of HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky. They explained all the medical parameters regarding vaccines for children, including possible side effects versus possible complications of COVID and the current spread of the highly infectious Delta variant in Israel. Prof. Balicer also presented the data compiled in the US, where over two million children aged 12-15 were vaccinated. HaRav Chaim listened carefully to the medical opinions and health data and reiterated his instructions for all children over age 12 to be vaccinated. מרן שר התורה הגר"ח קנייבסקי: על כל אחד מגיל 12 להתחסן! פרופ׳ רן בליצר ראש מערך החדשנות ב׳כללית׳ שמובילה את מערך החיסונים בישראל וראש קבינט מומחי הקורונה המייעץ למשרד הבריאות, וד״ר איתי פסח מנהל ביה״ח ספרא לילדים, הגיעו אל מעונו של מרן שר התורה הגר״ח קנייבסקי pic.twitter.com/1fAwZfVNWh — ישראל כהן (@Israelcohen911) June 30, 2021 Coronavirus cases in Israel are continuing to rise, with the majority of those diagnosed in the 12-15 age group. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Tuesday urged teens to be vaccinated, saying that “the new strain is affecting unvaccinated children and teens on an unprecedented scale.” Since Israel now has a supply of 800,000 vaccines that will expire on July 30, Bennett said that he is aiming for 30,000 teens to be vaccinated each day in a “race against time.” Two more locales were designated red on Tuesday, with Kfar Saba and Tzofim joining Binyamina and Kochav Yair. Modiin is designated as orange and Tel Aviv, Hertzliya, Ramle and Pardas Chana are designated as yellow. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

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