Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced Tuesday night that he has accepted the recommendation of Israel’s Pandemic Expert Committee to prepare for an extensive operation to administer a fourth Covid-19 vaccination to medical personnel and citizens over age 60.
“This is wonderful news that will assist us in getting through the Omicron wave that is engulfing the world,” said Bennett.
He noted that “Israel is continuing to stand at the forefront of the global effort to deal with the pandemic. The citizens of Israel were the first in the world to receive the third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and we are continuing to pioneer with the fourth dose as well.”
A study from Sheba Medical Center earlier this month showed that two doses of the vaccine are not effective against the Omicron variant but the third “booster” shot does increase protection.
However, it is not clear whether the protection lasts beyond six months, and many older Israelis started receiving boosters in late July and August.
No date has yet been set for the rollout of the fourth round of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines.
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