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Israeli health officials said on Sunday the country would start offering COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to adults considered to be at risk as it weighed a decision regarding the general public. The third injection will be offered to adults who have already received two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and are believed to have a weakened immune system, Reuters reported.
The move comes about a week after the country reported that the effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in preventing infections and symptomatic illnesses had fallen to 64% amid an increase in the Delta variant and a decrease. mitigation measures. The vaccine remains 93% effective in preventing serious illnesses from COVID-19, including hospitalizations.
The Pfizer vaccine is available to all Israelis aged 12 and over. According to the latest figures, Israel is approaching 60% of its population fully immunized and has already distributed more than 10.9 million doses.
In order to meet the expected demand for additional doses, especially as a booster is offered to adults at risk, the country has reached an agreement with Pfizer to deliver the next round of vaccines on August 1 instead of September.
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Israel has about 46 patients in serious condition, the majority of cases involving people at risk, according to Reuters. About half of these cases involve people who have been vaccinated. Officials said there was no rush to decide on boosters for the general population.
“It’s quite complex,” said Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of public health, during an appearance on public radio. “We are currently seeing epidemics mainly in vaccinated children and their parents who were not necessarily vaccinated in January and February and we need to identify the biases.”
Pfizer said it would meet with senior U.S. officials on Monday to discuss the company’s request for federal clearance for a recall. Following their initial announcement, the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a joint response stating that vaccinated Americans “don’t need” a booster at this time.
Dr.Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Biden, has since acknowledged that “it is entirely conceivable, perhaps likely” that a recall will be needed, but that it is too early for federal officials make this call.
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“Right now, given the data and information we have, we don’t need to give people a third chance,” he said. “It doesn’t mean we stop there.… Studies are currently underway as we talk about the feasibility of whether and when we should stimulate people.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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