Early data from Israel suggests a booster shot of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine can significantly improve immunity in those aged 60 and above, as other countries plan additional doses to increase protection against the highly infectious Delta variant
reduced the risk of infection in the 60-plus age group by 86% and against severe infection by 92%, according to an observational study by Israel’s second largest healthcare provider, Maccabi Health Services, released Wednesday.
U.S. authorities said the current protection against severe disease, hospitalization and death could diminish in the months ahead, especially among those who are at higher risk or were vaccinated during the earlier phases of the vaccination rollout. “For that reason, we conclude that a booster shot will be needed to maximize vaccine-induced protection and prolong its durability,” they said.
Israel, a relatively small country, has fully inoculated more than 62% of its roughly nine-million population since launching its campaign in December.just 39% protected against infection “These results are highly encouraging. They suggest that the third booster may restore the vaccine efficacy to its original levels,” said Eran Segal, a computational biologist at the Weizmann Institute of Science and a key adviser to the Israeli government on the pandemic.
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