Ómicron has led Israel to now suffer its fifth wave of infections, with maximum morbidity since the start of the pandemic.
The fourth dose of the vaccine against COVID-19 is “very effective” for those over 60 years of age, who “protects three times more” against serious infections than people of the same age group vaccinated with three injections, according to a preliminary study released today by the Israeli Ministry of Health.
“The fourth dose increases protection against severe disease threefold or more” among the population over 60 years old, assured Health, based on data from some 400,000 Israelis vaccinated with this fourth injection and 600,000 citizens who only received three booster doses.
The investigation, of a preliminary nature and carried out by experts from the Ministry of Health, the Weizmann Institute of Sciences, the Technion, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Sheba Medical Center, was based on the comparison “with respect to individuals vaccinated with three doses” and after 4 months have passed since their last inoculation.
In turn, according to the researchers, the fourth dose also doubles the protection against contagion among those over 60 years of age.
Fourth dose of vaccine against COVID-19 multiplies antibodies by five, according to Israeli data
Today’s study comes a few days after another preliminary investigation by the Israeli Sheba Medical Center, which claimed that the fourth dose is only “partially effective” against the omicron variant.
This strain has led Israel to now suffer its fifth wave of infections, with maximum morbidity since the start of the pandemic.
The country recorded more than 71,000 new daily positives this week, another record of cases that occurs while there are 732 admitted to hospitals in serious condition and more than 442,000 people infected with the virus today.
Despite this situation, Israel remains without severe restrictions and seeks to keep its economy fully operational, has reopened its borders to vaccinated foreign visitors and reduced the COVID-19 quarantine to just five days.
Some experts have argued that because of the high spread of the omicron, the best solution to overcome the new wave is that these massive contagions allow herd immunity, since the variant causes mild symptoms and few severe cases. (I)
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