Hadassah head to be jabbed with blue-and-white vaccine Monday
Prof. Zeev Rotstein will be inoculated on Monday with the Israel Institute for Biological Institute vaccine candidate, Brilife, as part of its Phase II clinical trial.
By MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMANUpdated: DECEMBER 20, 2020 20:07Photo of Prof. Zeev Rotstein, head of Hadassah-University Medical Center, being screened for eligibility to be vaccinated on Monday as part of the Phase II trial of the Israeli vaccine candidate Brilife. December 20, 2020(photo credit: HADASSAH)
Prof. Zeev Rotstein, head of Hadassah-University Medical Center, will be inoculated on Monday with the Israel Institute for Biological Institute vaccine candidate, Brilife, as part of its Phase II clinical trial.“I am kind of a role model in Israeli society and I have to volunteer,” Rotstein told The Jerusalem Post. “Instead of taking the Pfizer vaccine, I am opting for the Israeli one, which needs volunteers like me – who are not so young and healthy – to complete their clinical study.”Rotstein is 70 years old. Both his age and his status as medical personnel make him part of the priority group of people who are eligible to take the Pfizer vaccine. But he said, “I think the blue-and-white vaccine is of great importance.“I am calling on everyone who is a Zionist to serve as a volunteer for this vaccine because Israel really needs a second type of vaccine,” Rotstein said.He added that he believes that the Pfizer and Moderna messenger RNA vaccines are “quite safe and their efficacy is high” and that those who do not want to volunteer for the Israeli study should get vaccinated with them.Last week, the Health Ministry announced it had approved the launch of the Phase II clinical trial for Brilife.The Phase II trial will be done with 1,000 healthy volunteers aged 18 and over, including senior citizens. The aim of this phase is to complete vaccine safety precautions, determine effective dosages and further determine the vaccine’s effectiveness.The Phase I trial was completed and its data examined earlier this month. The Brilife vaccine was thus far found to have no serious side effects.Rotstein, whose hospital took part in the Phase I trial with Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer and will be among the hospitals nationwide taking part in Phase II, said that if all trials are successful, the vaccine will be available for Israelis by the earliest spring and latest summer.
