Vaccinated Israelis over 60 years of age will be able to receive a third dose of Pfizer starting Sunday, provided that more than five months have elapsed since the second dose. This was announced by the Ministry of Health which asked the mutual funds to organize themselves adequately.
Pfizer’s study: vaccine efficacy declines after six months
Israel is the first country in the world to take such a step. Yesterday, a team of experts advised the government to switch to the distribution of the third dose after noting a decline in vaccine efficacy among those who were immunized six months ago.
The precedent of the immunosuppressed
In mid-July, in light of the renewed spread of the Covid case, the Ministry of Health had instructed the health insurance funds to administer a third dose of Pfizer vaccine to the immunosuppressed.
Israel, third dose of Pfizer vaccine for immunosuppressed patients
The rise of the cases
The Delta variant quickly spread to Israel. While most of the new cases involve young people, including unvaccinated children, the country is starting to see more and more seniors vaccinated five and six months ago contracting the infection.
Research from the Ministry of Health showed that Pfizer vaccine was only 16 percent effective against the Delta variant in people who have been vaccinated for over six months. To stem the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, the government voted last week to re-establish the Green Pass program. The program provides that to enter a facility with more than 100 people, an individual over the age of 12 must present a vaccination certificate, have contracted Covid and have developed antibodies or a negative test carried out in the last 72 hours . Yesterday 2,165 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded, according to what emerges from the data of the Ministry of Health.
Pfizer Loses Effect Against Delta Variant: Israeli Announcement
The EU is also preparing for the eventuality of a third dose
“We are very aware that there may be a need for an additional booster dose and this is one of the reasons why we prepared for example by concluding a third contract with Pfizer long ago, which includes 1.8 billion doses and the goal of these doses is to be ready for booster doses if needed. ” The spokesman for the EU Commission said, Stefan De Keersmaecker, at the press briefing.
These doses have been ordered “in case they need to be used for other variant vaccinations or to vaccinate other groups such as the younger ones. To be prepared we have concluded these contracts. We have also exercised the 150 billion doses option with Moderna to be better prepared. to this situation. In the meantime we will continue to follow the situation with the EMA “, he added.
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