Israel will roll out a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine, again leading the world in increased protocols in the battle against the COVID pandemic.
The four-dose regimen immediately affects people ages 60 and over, medical workers, and people with compromised immune systems. The new measure was announced Tuesday by the Prime Minister's Office after a recommendation from the nation's coronavirus experts.
The fourth dose is available to those who received their last dose of the vaccine at least four month ago. Nearly 100% of citizens have received the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in Israel.
"We don't really have data yet on the level of immunity like we did when we decided on the third dose, but on the other hand, there is really scary data out there in the rest of the world," said Professor Galia Rahav, one of Israel's leading coronavirus experts.
"In a situation like this, if you don't act immediately, you miss the train," she added.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett celebrated the recommendation and asked citizens to act as quickly as possible to get their fourth dose.
"Wonderful news, do not waste time — go get vaccinated," he said Tuesday.
Bennett lauded his nation's effort throughout the pandemic, saying, "We stand at the forefront of the global effort to deal with the pandemic. The citizens of Israel were the first in the world to receive the third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, and we are continuing to pioneer with the fourth dose as well."
Israel has been a leader in treatment trends and protocol throughout the pandemic.
At the moment, a person is not considered fully vaccinated in Israel until they have received a third dose of the vaccine once they are eligible.
