Israel to offer third coronavirus booster shot to older citizens
- The announcement by PM Naftali Bennett makes it the first country to offer a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on a wide scale
- Previously, boosters were used in some countries with the Chinese and Russian vaccines
Israel’s prime minister on Thursday announced that the country would offer a coronavirus booster to people over 60 who have already been vaccinated.
The announcement by Naftali Bennett makes Israel the first country to offer a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to its citizens on a wide scale.
“I’m announcing this evening the beginning of the campaign to receive the booster vaccine, the third vaccine,” Bennett said in a nationally televised address.
“Reality proves the vaccines are safe. Reality also proves the vaccines protects from severe morbidity and death. And like the flu vaccine that needs to be renewed from time to time, it is the same in this case.”
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The decision comes at a time of rising infections and signs that the vaccine’s efficacy dwindles over time.