Fourth doses of the Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines are only “partially” effective against the Omicron strain of the virus, according to the authors of an Israeli study published.
In December, a team from Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv initiated a trial on fourth doses of coronavirus vaccinations, inoculating 154 hospital workers with Pfizer vaccines and 120 additional volunteers with Moderna doses.
The trial’s preliminary findings “suggest that the vaccinations are safe and create significant antibodies, but are only partially successful in fighting against the Omicron variety,” the hospital stated in a statement.
The study’s primary author, Professor Gili Regev-Yochay, stated that while there was an increase in antibodies after the fourth dosage, it “only gives a limited resistance against the virus” for individuals infected with the Omicron variety.
Mr Regev-Yochay stated that the vaccinations were “very efficient against the older forms.”
Israel was one of the first countries to begin widespread immunisation efforts for its citizens.
Last summer, it began administering booster injections, and it has now approved fourth doses for the elderly and vulnerable groups.
According to the most recent health ministry numbers, almost 537,000 Israelis had gotten a fourth dosage of vaccination.
More than 80% of adult Israelis have had two coronavirus vaccination doses, with more than half additionally receiving a booster.
Meanwhile, the Israeli government said that the quarantine time for positive cases will be reduced from seven to five days, citing a record number of illnesses as a danger to the economy.
According to official data, more than 1.7 million illnesses have been registered in Israel since the outbreak began, with more than 8,300 deaths.