Israel approves fourth COVID-19 vaccine shot for most vulnerable

Israel approves fourth COVID-19 vaccine shot for most vulnerable Israel is to go ahead with second COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for people with weakened immune systems, the top government health official said on Thursday, but a final decision on wider usage is still pending. Jeffrey Heller Reuters

An Israeli hospital administered fourth shots to a test group of health workers on Monday, in what it called the first major study into whether a second round of boosters will help contend with the Omicron coronavirus variant. Results are expected within two weeks.

"Israel's strategy for overcoming Omicron is clear: the greater the wave, the greater the protection we will need to overcome it," Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said after the limited rollout was announced on Thursday.

Health Ministry director-general Nachman Ash, whose approval is needed to launch a new booster campaign, did not immediately announce a decision, with some experts say there was not enough scientific data to justify fourth shots.

Ash told a news conference on Thursday he had decided that, for now, a second booster would be offered only to immunocompromised people, such as cancer patients and organ transplant recipients. ...