Coronavirus: Israel offers booster shots to children as young as 12; Switzerland warns of terror attacks on vaccine sites
- Israeli officials say the effectiveness of the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine waned six months after administration, making a booster necessary
- Elsewhere, tougher restrictions on unvaccinated people planned in German region, while Switzerland is on alert for potential attacks on vaccine facilities
Israel has begun offering a Covid-19 booster to vaccinated people 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 vaccine waned six months after administration, making a booster necessary.
“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.
Those eligible for the third shot can receive it provided at least five months have passed since their second jab – a time frame shorter than an eight-month interval in effect in the US, which is considering cutting the waiting time.
Hoping to curb the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant, Israel began administering the booster to its older population a month ago and has been gradually lowering the age of eligibility. It stood at 30 before Sunday’s announcement.