The Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv announced today the results of a preliminary study showing that the fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine provides only limited protection against the new strain of the omicron coronavirus.
In that hospital, vaccination of more than 270 healthcare workers with the second booster began in December.
120 people received the Moderna vaccine, and 154 received the Pfizer/Biontek vaccine.
All had previously been vaccinated three times with the Pfizer/Biontek vaccine.
A clinical trial revealed slightly more antibodies than after the third vaccine, the first booster, last year, but this did not prevent the spread of omicrons.
"Despite the increased level of antibodies, the fourth vaccine offers only partial protection against the virus. Vaccines that were more effective against earlier variants offer less protection against omicrons," said director of the infectious diseases unit Gili Regev-Johaj.
The preliminary results have called into question the correctness of Israel's decision to offer a second booster to Israelis over the age of 60.
So far, half a million of Israel's nearly 9,5 million inhabitants have received the second booster.
The director general of the Israeli Ministry of Health, Dr. Nahman Ash, believes that the research does not mean that the fourth dose of the vaccine was a mistake, but that the antibody level returns to that at the beginning of the third booster, and that this is of great importance, especially for the elderly population.
However, he announced that the results of the research will be taken into account when deciding whether to extend vaccination with the fourth dose to other residents.
Israel is one of the first countries to begin a mass vaccination campaign for its population and last summer was the first to offer a third, booster dose.
Israel is also believed to be the first in the world to offer a fourth dose for senior citizens.
Israeli efforts, however, have not stopped the spread of the omicron strain in the past weeks.
The number of new infections in one day is reaching record levels and the number of patients in hospitals is increasing, but there are fewer seriously ill patients than in previous waves. Many people are in quarantine.
Omicron is already the dominant strain in many countries and can infect vaccinated and previously infected individuals, but initial studies show that it causes less severe disease compared to the previous delta strain.
Vaccination and booster still provide protection against serious illness, hospitalization and death.
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