Fourth corona vaccination with Biontech - study delivers bad news

Created: 01/10/2022, 11:05 AM

By: Vincent Büssow

Four vaccinations to protect against corona have started in Israel.

A first study with a focus on Biontech dampens hopes.

© Artur Widak / Imago

A study from Israel is investigating the effect of a fourth vaccination to protect against corona with Biontech.

The results are a major disappointment.

Tel Aviv - While the campaign for third-party vaccination is still running in Germany, citizens in Israel are already receiving their fourth vaccination to protect against Corona *. A study accompanied this process to investigate the effectiveness of four vaccinations with the vaccine from Biontech / Pfizer *. Although an increase in antibodies has been observed, the first interim results are sobering.

The head of the as yet unpublished study, Professor Gili Regev, reported on Wednesday (January 5th, 2022) a five-fold increase in antibodies as a result of a fourth corona vaccination *.

This value is "good, but not sufficient," she told the online portal Ynet.

"We see a certain increase in antibodies, but the increase is not very impressive," reported Regev, director of the Infection Prevention Department at Sheba Hospital in Israel.

Study from Israel: fourth corona vaccination with Biontech shows less effect than first booster

The problem is that the corona antibodies would drop to the same level shortly after the fourth vaccination as after the first booster.

Its effect can therefore not be replicated with further boosters of the same corona vaccine.

Professor Regev said the goal may not be to get vaccinated every four months.

Nevertheless, the virologist still considers the third corona vaccination to be important.

"Anyone who received the first and second dose must urgently receive the third," said the professor, according to the report.

As for a second refresher on protection against Corona, she does not yet know whether she would recommend this for everyone.

"I think we need more information before we can make such a recommendation," said Regev.

Plan B for the fourth corona vaccination: New attempt started in Israel

The study looked at the effects of the Biontech / Pfizer corona vaccine on hospital employees. Since the examinations have only been running for about two weeks, no final results have been determined yet. Professor Regev also has another idea of ​​how immunization could be significantly increased after the third vaccination: In a new experiment, 150 participants will receive a fourth vaccination with Moderna * after three doses of the Biontech / Pfizer preparation. "Maybe a combination of both vaccines would be better," said Regev.

Although the willingness to vaccinate was high at the beginning of the pandemic, many people in Israel refuse a booster vaccination *.

Only around 61 percent of the 9.4 million Israelis are still fully vaccinated, including those who have been vaccinated twice up to six months after the second vaccination and people with a booster vaccination.

(vbu / dpa)