Israel to offer a 4th dose of Covid-19 vaccine to people older than 60 or with compromised immune systems, and to health workers, as part of a drive to outpace the spread of the omicron variant.
A health ministry expert panel — whose findings have yet to be implemented — recommended Tuesday that those eligible receive the fourth shot at least four months after receiving their third.
The panel further recommended that the time allotted between second and third shots be reduced to three months from five. “We are seeing a waning of protection against omicron infection. This wave is growing in surprisingly high numbers... More than 80 percent of the panel supported this measure,” Arnon Shahar, a doctor on the expert panel, told Israel’s Army Radio.
After a world-beating vaccine rollout, Israel has seen turnout for the shots plateau. Around 62 percent of its 9.4 million population have received two doses, according to the ministry.
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