Israel was one of the first countries to start vaccinating its population, and was also one of the first to administer the third dose. Now it seems that it will once again lead an unexplored race despite the lack of data on its necessity or effectiveness: the fourth dose.
The omicron variant is turning the world upside down and trials are continuing on the effectiveness of third doses to neutralize them when, even the WHO, has stated that both vaccinated and cured of COVID-19 can be reinfected if they come into contact with this new variant of concern. Israel goes a step further and its prime minister, Naftali Bennett, announced this week that Israelis over the age of 60 and medical teams will be eligible for a fourth COVID vaccine, which will initially be the one from Pfizer-BioNTech, following the recommendation of a panel of experts. “The world will follow in our footsteps,” Bennett said.
The decision seems to have been taken along with other measures to try to contain the spread of the omicron variant, to which one death and 1,148 confirmed or “very probable” cases were attributed on Tuesday, more than half in vaccinated, such as travel restrictions ( ban on travel to the US, Spain, France, Morocco and a red list of up to 50 countries), limitations on meals in shopping malls, or the request that children go to online classes in communities with high morbidity and low vaccination rates, while trying to avoid a domestic lockdown.
Who is called to receive the fourth dose in Israel
Some 70% of its population, which is about 9.3 million people, have received two doses of a coronavirus vaccine, while more than 4.1 million Israelis have received three doses. However, it must be remembered that a large part of Israel’s ultra-religious population refuses to be vaccinated, putting in check the accelerated government campaign. And vaccination rates remain low among teens and young children. Fewer than one percent of children ages five to 11 have received a single coronavirus injection.
“The world will follow in our footsteps”, affirmed the Israeli Prime Minister on the administration of the fourth dose of COVID vaccine
Previously, Bennett had called the recommendation by the country’s Pandemic Expert Committee to administer a fourth coronavirus vaccine to Israelis over 60 and medical teams “wonderful news.” “It will help us get through the omicron wave that is engulfing the world,” she said.
A statement from the Ministry of Health indicated that immunodeficient people will also be eligible for the fourth injection, which may be administered in addition to this group to the elderly and medical teams at least four months after receiving the third.
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