Coronavirus Vaccination; Israel set to Issue third Dose

On Thursday, Israel’s prime minister announced that the country will provide a coronavirus booster to those over the age of 60 who had previously been vaccinated.

AP News reports that Naftali Bennett’s declaration puts Israel as the first country to deliver a third dosage of a Western vaccine to its residents on a large scale.

“I’m announcing this evening the beginning of the campaign to receive the booster vaccine, the third vaccine,” Bennett said in a nationally televised address.

“Reality proves the vaccines are safe. Reality also proves the vaccines protect against severe morbidity and death. And like the flu vaccine that needs to be renewed from time to time, it is the same in this case.”

See also HIV Increases Risk of Severe COVID-19 Infection — WHO

The decision comes at a time of rising infections and signs that the vaccine’s efficacy dwindles over time.

Anyone above the age of 60 who has been vaccinated in the last five months is eligible.

Bennett added that on Friday, the country’s new president, Isaac Herzog, would be the first to receive the increase. It will be available to the general public as well.

Bennett, 49, said his first phone call following the press conference will be to his mother, encouraging her to get her booster shot.

Coronavirus booster injections have not been approved in the United States or the European Union.

It’s still unclear whether a third dose is beneficial, and if so, who needs it and when.

Bennett, on the other hand, said that a group of professional advisers had unanimously agreed, by a 56-1 vote, that the booster campaign should be launched.

See also Coronavirus in Canada; Manitoba, Set to Further Ease Restrictions

He said the recommendation was made after “considerable research and analysis” and that its information would be shared around the world.

Preliminary studies in Israel have indicated the vaccine’s protection against serious illness dropped among those vaccinated in January.

“findings show that there is a decline in the body’s immunity over time, and the purpose of the booster is to re-strengthen it, thus significantly reducing the chances of infection and serious illness,” Bennett said.

Israel has used the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine on its population. Previously, boosters were used in some countries with the Chinese and Russian vaccines.

Early this year, Israel carried out one of the world’s most aggressive and successful vaccination campaigns, reaching a deal with Pfizer to purchase enough vaccines for its population in exchange for sharing its data with the drug maker.