FDA: Israeli COVID studies give US 'window to the future'

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Israeli research has given U.S. health policymakers a “window into the future” that helped shape COVID vaccine policy and “convinced everyone of the need for boosters,” said the Wednesday, Senior American Vaccine Advisor.

Professor Arnold Monto said that the US cannot provide the fast decision-making and fast big data COVID research that Israel has achieved, and therefore the Israeli experience has become valuable in assessing how various anti-COVID policy steps can be implemented.
< br />Speaking at an online seminar, Monto, acting chairman of the vaccine advisory committee at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), mentioned Israel's acceptance of the third and fourth vaccines ahead of other countries. He told how it helped US experts understand the value of boosting.

Monto also detailed Israel's effective use of real data, available through the country's centralized and rigorous digital documentation, to conduct insightful research. The FDA adviser suggested that if researchers continue on this path, “the unique characteristics of Israel and Israeli healthcare could have a permanent impact.” on health policy”.

“The elements are there, and the COVID emergency has shown what can be done when everyone is mobilized to provide the kind of information that comes from Israel from qualified scientists”– added the professor. “In terms of deploying boosters, Israel was ahead of the United States and could draw conclusions about the need for them. The Israeli data convinced everyone that boosters are needed, first for high-risk groups and then for the general population.

“Israel has indeed mobilized a healthcare system to combat COVID that has overcome many bureaucratic walls separating some Israeli health departments”, – Monto commented. “I think it will be very important in the future to see how the barriers [in the US have slowed down the development of a lot of the research that Israel can get”.

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