COVID: 50% of patients offered antibody drug refuse, many unvaccinated

• Author: ROSSELLA TERCATIN
• Published date: 07 October 2021
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

The majority of those who declined the treatment were unvaccinated. One healthcare provider reported nearly 80% of such patients refusing the treatment.

As of Wednesday, 209 patients had received the drug, and 209 had declined to accept it.

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Regeneron has been administered to Israeli patients infected with the virus who are considered at high risk of developing severe symptoms since September 23.

These patients include those who suffer from obesity, heart and lung diseases or have not been vaccinated.

The cocktail, a combination of different antibodies, was authorized in November for emergency use by the US Food and Drug Administration.

According to Regeneron's data, if administered in the early stage of infection, the treatment reduces hospitalization and death in high-risk individuals by 70%.

The medicine is given to patients who are treated at home under the supervision of their healthcare providers.

While the Health Ministry and the two largest healthcare providers, Clalit Health Services and Maccabi Healthcare Services, do not record the vaccination status of patients who accept or refuse the drug, data from Meuhedet Health Maintenance Organization show the tendency to refuse treatment was especially prevalent among...