Image source, Getty Images
While the rest of the scientific world insists on the need for a booster dose or third dose to increase protection against omicron, in Israel they are already preparing to administer a fourth injection to the population.
An Israeli government panel of experts has recommended applying a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine to people over 60 years of age and members of the healthcare staff.
The decision was welcomed by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who is confident it will help the country deal with the potential wave of the omicron variant.
This Tuesday, Israel reported the first death of a patient infected with omicron. In total, the health ministry has confirmed 341 cases of the variant.
The infection rate has grown again in the country, with a total of 903 cases registered this Tuesday.
“Wonderful news”
This same Tuesday night, the Committee of Experts on the Pandemic in Israel recommended a fourth dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for those over 60, health care workers and immunosuppressed patients, at least four months after receiving the third dose.
The Health Ministry is expected to finally approve the recommendation in the next few days.
Image source, Getty Images
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett received the expert panel’s recommendation as “wonderful news.”
“This is wonderful news that will help us deal with the omicron wave that is shaking the world,” Bennett said.
“The citizens of Israel were the first to receive the third dose of the vaccine against covid-19 in the world and we are still pioneers now with the fourth dose“added the prime minister.
“The vaccine is very safe. So having a fourth dose in terms of side effects is very minimal,” Professor Nadav Davidovitch, director of the School of Public Health at Ben Gurion University in Israel, told the BBC.
“Ómicron is in Israel. The growth rate multiplies every two days, similar to what happens in the United Kingdom and South Africa. Therefore, we decided that it would be prudent to suggest that those who received the third dose four months ago can now take the fourth dose, “added the expert.
From Jerusalem, BBC correspondent Tom Bateman reports that the evidence in favor of the fourth dose has not yet been published and that the same committee took a stand against it just a week ago.
One of the panel’s experts said there was “a paucity of data” on whether the immunity acquired after the third dose was waning, but added that global omicron infections were “terrifyingly terrifying.”
Israel launched its Covid-19 vaccination program at the fastest pace in the world and last summer it was the first country to offer the booster dose to its population.
Image source, Reuters
More than half of Israel’s population has been partially or fully vaccinated.
Almost 70% of its 9.3 million inhabitants have received two doses, while 45% have taken the third dose, according to the Health Ministry.
In November, this ministry announced that children between the ages of 5 and 11 could also receive the vaccine.
On Monday, Bennett expressed his wish that all eligible children will be vaccinated within the next two weeks to help “delay, slow, and lessen” the force of another wave of infections.
The government closed its borders to foreigners last month in response to the omicron detection and has banned Israeli citizens and permanent residents from traveling to more than 50 countries of its “red list”, including the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and much of Africa.
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.