Israel launched a campaign on Friday for the administration of a 4th dose of the anti-Covid vaccine to vulnerable people in the hope of mitigating the effects of a new wave of contamination due to the spread of the Omicron variant.
Even if the country, yet the spearhead of vaccination since the start of the health crisis, is beginning to have some doubts about the value of this 4th dose.
A year almost to the day after launching a vast vaccination campaign in favor of an agreement with the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and almost six months after starting to administer booster doses, the health authorities had given the green light on Thursday the administration of this 4th dose of vaccine to immunocompromised people.
Read alsoCovid-19: why Israel is launching its campaign for the 4th dose of vaccine
As of Friday morning, doses were administered at Sheba Hospital, located in Ramat Gan, a suburb of Tel Aviv, in patients who have undergone heart transplants for example.
This hospital began a clinical trial on Monday by administering a fourth dose of the anticoronavirus vaccine to its caregivers.
"We had obtained good results with the 3rd dose which, moreover, did not cause side effects except for slight localized pain (…) We are impatient to see the response to this fourth dose", a declared on the spot Dr Galia Rahav.
"This dose will increase protection against the coronavirus," added cardiologist Yael Peled.
The residents of retirement homes too
The director of the Ministry of Health, Nachman Ash, also authorized the administration of a 4th dose on Friday for residents of retirement homes and patients in geriatric departments, according to a statement from the ministry.
"This decision was taken following fears of an increase in the number of contaminations in these institutions which endangers the health of these people", argued the ministry.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said last week that all Israelis over 60 and medical staff would be entitled to a fourth dose, but this decision has yet to be approved by the health ministry.
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Israel launches 4th dose of Covid vaccine
Administering a fourth dose will assess the possible rise in antibodies and the onset of side effects, and whether or not it reduces the risk of infection, said Gili Regev-Yochay, director. from the infectious disease department of Sheba Hospital.
Israel also received a first delivery of anti-Covid pills from Pfizer on Thursday as the number of contaminations continues to increase.
The authorities identified more than 4,000 new cases of Covid on Thursday, a record since September which has not yet translated into a marked increase in hospitalizations.