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.
