Israeli Health Fund Leaders Urge Tough Penalties for Vaccine Refusal
Calls for a more forceful state response to declining vaccination rates were voiced Sunday by senior figures in Israel’s healthcare system, who warned that persuasion alone is no longer working and that firmer action is required.
Professor Doron Netzer, Head of the Community Medicine Department at Clalit Health Services, said that public information campaigns have not delivered the needed results and that escalation is unavoidable. “If we don’t make it mandatory for the public to vaccinate, we won’t reach the necessary vaccination rate,” he said.
Similar concerns were raised by Dr. Eran Rotman, deputy CEO of Maccabi Health Services, who argued that the government must adopt steps that have so far been avoided. He framed the issue as one that goes beyond policy and enters the realm of values. “A parent who doesn’t vaccinate their children is endangering not only their own children but also those around them,” Rotman said.
The remarks were delivered at a conference organized by the Friends for Medicine organization, where health officials addressed what they described as a worrying drop in public compliance with vaccination guidelines.
Leumit Health Fund CEO Chaim Fernandes went a step further, urging consideration of financial consequences for those who refuse vaccines for themselves or their children. He suggested that benefits currently provided by the state could be reduced or withdrawn as a deterrent, including child allowances and tax credit points.
Fernandes explained that avoiding vaccination carries broader costs for society, saying, “When a person increases the risk of using the healthcare system and infecting others, it also has an economic implication.”
{Matzav.com}