A number of hospital rabbis have asked Rav Shlomo Amar, Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, regarding getting vaccinations on Shabbos. It seems the medical clinics are preparing to also provide the vaccinations on Shabbos, using pikuach nefesh as justification. The hospital rabbis and some doctors are unsure about this and sent the question to Rav Amar.
Rav Amar responded rejecting the claim of pikuach nefesh. Rav Amar says that if giving the vaccination is pikuach nefesh, they should be vaccinating 24 hours a day. The fact that they are not shows that pikuach nefesh isn't behind this.
Rav Amar concluded and paskened that upon consultation with medical professionals he has decided that it is prohibited to get the vaccination on Shabbos.
Rav Amar suggested that on Shabbos they use non-Jewish doctors/nurses to vaccinate non-Jews.
The Eida Hachareidis has received similar question and similarly paskened that vaccinating on Shabbos is not allowed. The beis din of the Eida added that people should protest against their kupot that are planning to vaccinate on Shabbos.source: Kikar
The government, the Ministry of Health, has already discussed the possibility of speeding up the vaccination effort by working around the clock. I wonder if they do decide to do that if the psak of Rav Amar will change.
------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
------------------------------------------------------