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Updated January 27th, 2022 at 15:35 IST

COVID-19: Israel authorises fourth vaccine dose for vulnerable people aged 18 and above

Israel authorised a fourth COVID vaccine dose for citizens aged 18 years and above who suffer from medical issues that make them more vulnerable to the virus.

Reported by: Anwesha Majumdar
COVID-19
Image: AP/Unsplash/GOV.IL | Image:self
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The Director-General of Israel's Ministry of Health, Nachman Ash on Wednesday has authorised the fourth round of COVID-19 vaccination injections for citizens above the age of 18 years and who have medical issues, making them more vulnerable to the deadly COVID-19 disease. According to the ministry, the additional doses will also be provided to caregivers of at-risk individuals and those whose work involves a high risk of being exposed to an infected person, The Times of Israel reported.  

This decision came after the latest wave of COVID infections, propelled by the Omicron strain, resulting in an increase in the number of severely ill patients. According to figures released by Israel's Ministry of Health on Wednesday, 76,155 new COVID-19 cases were reported in a single day. 

Fourth vaccine dose provides 3-5 times more protection against COVID

Further, as per the ministry, the fourth vaccine shots will be offered nearly four months after an individual has obtained their third COVID-19 vaccination dosage. However, the authorisation of Ash represents only a partial acceptance from the ministry advisory panel's proposal which stated that the extra dosage be made accessible to all persons above the age of 18. 

The decision to authorise fourth vaccine shots for at-risk groups was also based on an assessment revealing that a fourth vaccine dose for individuals aged 60 and up provides 3 to 5 times more protection against severe disease and 2-fold safeguards against infection when compared to three vaccine doses, the Ministry informed.  

However, early findings from research done by Sheba Medical Center last week found that while a fourth dosage of the vaccine boosted antibody levels in the blood, it did not appear to provide protection against the disease caused by the Omicron strain, The Times of Israel reported. 

COVID cases in Israel

Till now, 6,687,933 people in Israel's 9.5 million population have received at least one vaccination injection, with 6,072,764 receiving two injections and 4,432,322 receiving the third booster. 614,953 of them have received the fourth booster. 

The number of extremely unwell patients has risen from 539 to 915 in the last week. Following the death of 14 individuals the day before, the number of deaths since the commencement of the outbreak in early 2020 stood at  8,513. Meanwhile, as per Worldometers, over 2,599,456 individuals have been affected by the disease in the nation since the outbreak.  

(Image: AP/Unsplash/GOV.IL)

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Published January 27th, 2022 at 15:35 IST

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