- Israel will begin to provide booster injections for adults with compromised immune systems, such as organ transplant recipients.
- The country’s health authorities are still weighing whether the public needs more injections.
- After the successful launch of the vaccine, there has been a new surge in Covid-19 cases in the country.
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On Sunday, Israel announced that it would start offering A third dose of Pfizer vaccine for adults with weakened immune systemsAccording to Reuters, it is still considering whether it should be launched publicly.
After the country touted a rapid and successful vaccination campaign, Israel has been seeing a wave of new infections in the past month, mainly caused by the Delta variant.Registered in Israel Over 450 cases per day on average in the past week, According to data from Johns Hopkins University-a far cry from the low double-digit cases recorded in May and early June.
Fifty-seven percent of the Israeli population has been fully vaccinated against Pfizer, which has raised doubts about the vaccine’s efficacy against the Delta variant.A study conducted by the Israeli Ministry of Health between June 6 and early July showed Pfizer’s efficacy has been reduced from 94% to 64%, According to Bloomberg News. But the decline in efficacy may also be due to Israel’s removal of COVID-19 restrictions in June.
At the same time, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated Americans who are fully vaccinated do not need booster shots, Currently.Pfizer and its partner BioNTech SE-the company that produces the vaccine-said they will Meet with US authorities on Monday to discuss the need to strengthen injections.
“It can be seen from the real-world evidence released by the Israeli Ministry of Health that the effectiveness of the vaccine decreases within 6 months after vaccination, and the Delta variant is becoming the main variant in the country. The company stated in a written statement, According to CNBC.
The two companies said in a statement that they believe that “a third dose may be needed within 6 to 12 months after full vaccination.”
