“The vaccine works and offers protection against serious complications,” says Israeli hospital that begins first clinical trials of fourth dose of Pfizer vaccine
A team from Sheba Hospital, near Tel Aviv, last week initiated a clinical trial, vaccinating with a fourth dose some 150 volunteer caregivers who received a third dose more than four months ago and whose quantity of The antibody seemed to have waned.
A week after the start of this clinical trial, which is to last for six months, “the antibodies (of the participants) have increased five-fold, which indicates that the vaccine is working and offers protection against serious complications,” said the hospital to the press.
“The fourth dose works”
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, whose government has already given the green light to give a fourth dose to people aged 60 and over to mitigate the effects of a new wave of contamination linked to the Omicron variant, went to Sheba Hospital on Tuesday, where researchers briefed him on these initial results.
“The fourth dose is safe, the fourth dose works”, he said on the spot, welcoming to see the Hebrew state at the “forefront” of the fight against Covid-19 with its campaigns of vaccination, started in December 2020 and which made it possible to offer a third dose of vaccine to more than half of the adult population.
“More than 100,000 Israelis” have registered for a fourth dose since Sunday evening and the green light has been launched for the administration of a fourth dose to people over the age of 60 who have received their third dose in more than four months, Bennett said.
In the past 24 hours, the country has recorded 10,720 cases of Covid-19, a jump of more than 60% from the previous day, which has not, however, so far translated into a significant increase in hospitalizations. “We expect tens of thousands of confirmed cases in the coming days,” Bennett said, as local hospitals prepare to receive an increasing number of patients.