Israel currently has the highest COVID-19 vaccination rate in the world, and more than 4,000 of Rambam’s approximately 5,300 employees have already received the first dose of Pfizer vaccines.
Photography: Rambam HCC
Last week, the Clinical Trials Unit at Rambam Health Care Campus (in Rambam's Research & Development Unit), headed by Dr. Avivit Peer, joined a group of hospitals and institutions taking part in what is defined as "Phase 2" of the Israel Institute for Biological Research's COVID-19 vaccine development.
The vaccine will be given to dozens of volunteers in the coming days. A spokesperson from Israel’s Ministry of Defense noted that, "the second phase of the trial will include broad safety tests on approximately 1,000 healthy volunteers aged 18 and over. This phase is meant to complete the safety tests, identity the precise doses needed, and continue to test for effectiveness. It will last for several months, and its success will allow a large-scale trial to test the effectiveness of the vaccine on a larger scale, with the participation of up to 30,000 volunteers (Phase 3) in Israel and/or abroad."
Dr. Peer added, “Rambam is participating in this research group for the development of an Israeli vaccine with healthy volunteers. We are very proud that our unit, which has been operating for two years in the field of drug development research with a focus on new vaccines, has joined the cause for better health for the entire population."
Volunteers living in Israel who are interested in registering for the vaccine at the Israel Institute for Biological Research in Ness Ziona are invited to contact the research coordinators: 050-206-0316.