Israeli Study Concludes Third Vaccine Shot Lowers Infection Risk Significantly For 60-Plus


08/23/2021



A study by the Health Ministry of Israel on a third shot of Cvoid-19 vaccine has shown that the additional shot Pfizer's vaccine has helped to significantly improve protection from infection and serious illness for people over 60 years of age compared to people from the same group who were administered just two doses of the vaccine. 
 
The ministry made the revelations at a meeting of a ministry panel of vaccination experts last week and then uploaded the findings on its website on Sunday.
 
The Health Ministry however did not disclose the complete details of the study.
 
The findings of the study corroborated statistics derived from other separate studies reported by Israel's Maccabi healthcare provider last week. The organization is one of a number of organizations ta are providing booster doses of Covid-19 vaccines in an effort to prevent te further spreading of the Delta variant of the coronavirus.
 
The protection against the virus infection to people aged 60 and over from 10 days after a third dose was found to be four times more effective than that was provided after just two doses, said the country’s ministry officials while breaking down statistics from Israel's Gertner Institute and KI Institute.
 
Five to six times greater protection to people over 60 years of age and who were administered the additional shot after 10 days was noted with respect to the occurrence of serious illness and hospitalization from Covid-19.
 
The particular age group over 60 years are particularly vulnerable to Covid-19 and the country had inoculated that group first kin Israel when the mass vaccination drive was launched in the country in December last year.
 
There has also been a decrease in immunity over time for seniors and younger people as well, the health ministry of the country has said in recent weeks. Most of the breakthrough cases of reinfection for fully vaccinated people in Israel causing serious illness due to Covid-19 were more than 60 years old and had underlying health conditions.
 
Administering of a third jab of Covid-19 vaccine for people 60 or more years old was started in the country on July 30. Last week, thee lower limits for the third shot was reduced to 40 years while also including pregnant women, teachers and health care workers below that age limit. A third shot of Covid-19 vaccine is being given to people who have had both the doses of vaccine at least five months ago.
 
Recently, a plan for administering a third shot of Covid-19 vaccine to all Americans was announced by the United States, citing data which showed diminishing protection of the vaccines over time. Booster shot campaigns have also been announced by Canada, France and Germany.
 
The per capita Covid-19 infection rate in Israel currently is one of the highest in the world as the country has been struggling with the outbreak caused by the Delta variant of the coronavirus. A third shot of a vaccine has been taken already by 1.5 million people out of the total population of 9.3 million people.
 
(Source:www.forbes.com)