More Israelis are experiencing injuries and reactions following COVID-19 booster shots than the country’s passive reporting system indicates, according to a survey conducted by the Israeli Ministry of Health (MOH).
The MOH conducted an active survey of booster shot recipients to collect data on adverse events associated with booster doses, then compared the survey data to the data available from the country’s passive reporting system.
The survey concluded Israel’s passive reporting system was grossly underreporting adverse events.
The data from the Israeli survey could provide some insight into the extent of the underreporting occurring in the U.S.
It also could corroborate safety signals the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is ignoring.
What the survey found
The MOH survey was extensive in its breadth but limited in size.
More than 4,000 people were selected for the questionnaire. Of those, 2,049 were considered reliable reports.
The questionnaire was conducted between 21-30 days from the date the booster was administered.
The survey identified more than 40 different categories of vaccine reactions for both men and women. It also questioned a subset of women about their menstrual cycle.
Four of the 40 categories are immediately relevant to the booster rollout in the U.S. and any subsequent boosters the CDC might authorize moving forward.
The four categories are:
1. Hospitalizations
Six of the 2,049 (.29%) respondents were admitted to hospital following the booster shot. That number, though seemingly insignificant, carries more import when extrapolated to the millions of booster doses that have been administered:
Israel: 4.5 million booster doses administered = 13,000 hospitalizations
U.S.: 92 million booster doses administered = 270,000 hospitalizations.
2. Exacerbation of pre-existing disease
Six different categories of reported “chronic morbidities” (pre-existing diseases) were identified. These were the proportions of respondents in each category that reported a worsening of their disease after receiving a booster:
Heart disease = 5.4%.
Hypertension = 6.3%.
Lung disease = 7.0%.
Diabetes = 9.3%.
Anxiety disorder or depression = 26.4%.
Autoimmune disease = 24.2%.
Read More : Booster Shots Causing More Injuries
