Israel took a dramatic step to stop the spread of Omicron Covid. Health officials announced Tuesday night that anyone over 60 years old will be eligible for the fourth dose of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine.
Israel is now the first nation to offer a fourth shot, which some U.S. health professionals have been willing to consider in recent weeks.
Additional shots are also available for medical professionals.
Officials of the Middle Eastern country cite Omicron’s spread as the reason behind the decision, since the highly infectious and highly mutated strain is able to bypass vaccine protections.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the country had only 12 more confirmed cases. Worldwide, more than 100,000 Omicron cases have been confirmed.
Israeli officials have authorized fourth doses for residents 60 years and older to receive the Pfizer Covid vaccination. As a result of the Omicron vaccine, which is known to be extremely dangerous for some people, this move was approved by Israeli officials. Pictured is an elderly man from Jerusalem receiving a COVID-19 vaccination
Nitzan Horowitz, Health Minister of Nitzan Horowitz tweeted that there was a new vaccine available for those over 60 years old and medical personnel of all ages.
Omicron’s top priority is to protect the most vulnerable adults and keep the medical staff protected.
“No need to delay. You can get your vaccines now.
Right away, the rollout for the fourth shot will begin.
Although Covid cases are still relatively low in Israel, they have seen a significant increase recently. The average daily number of cases is 833, which represents a 57% increase in the last two weeks.
It is also forbidden for residents of the country to travel to the United States or Britain, as well as many other European and Asian countries, that suffer from this variant.
Israel won praise for its rapid pace in vaccine development.
Monday afternoon saw 71% have received one vaccine shot and 65% are complete vaccinated. According to official statistics, 46 percent are now boosted.
Pfizer’s early data shows that Omicron is only susceptible to those who have received the initial two doses.
Officials from South Africa discovered the new virus last month. It is one of the most complexly mutated strains yet to be discovered. The virus has over 50 mutations and 37 of them are on spike protein.
Omicron is immune to both vaccine-produced and naturally occurring mutations.
Pfizer & BioNTech collaborated in the development and research of the shot. The two companies revealed this month that the booster dosage would help to restore protection against Omicron infections.
Many fear that this protection could diminish over time, as it did with the previous two doses.
Israel has made the booster shots more readily available starting in July. The first beneficiaries of these shots have already been given the shot for five months. Immunity is unlikely to have diminished.
American booster shots are relatively new and the majority of Americans not fully vaccinated have yet to receive them.
The majority of fully-vaccinated people were not allowed to receive the shots until November. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that 60% of Americans have had their boosters, which is 18% of all Americans.
A number of health professionals are already considering the possibility for a fourth dose.
Fauci said that, together with Albert Bourla (CEO of Pfizer), the idea for a fourth shot was being investigated.
The U.S. used data from Israel to inform its decision-making. They may also be allowed to come to America in the months ahead, as Israel opens the doors for the fourth shot.