Israel offers COVID-19 booster to all vaccinated people

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Israel on Sunday began offering a COVID-19 booster to children as young as 12, and its prime minister said a campaign that began a month ago among seniors has slowed a rise in severe illness caused by the Delta variant.

Announcing the decision, top Israeli health officials said the effectiveness of the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech (PFE.N), (22UAy.DE) vaccine waned six months after administration, making a booster necessary.

“The third dose brings us to the level of protection achieved by the second dose, when it was fresh,” said Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of public health at Israel’s Health Ministry.

“That means, people are 10 times more protected after the third vaccine dose,” she told a news conference, where the expanded booster drive was announced.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-offers-covid-19-booster-shots-all-vaccinated-people-2021-08-29/?rpc=401&