D.he fourth vaccination dose with the preparation from Biontech / Pfizer increases the number of antibodies against the new corona variant Omikron five-fold within a week, according to an Israeli study. The Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett presented these results on Tuesday during a visit to the Shiba Hospital near Tel Aviv together with the study director Gili Regev. “The fourth shot is safe and effective,” said Bennett.
However, the level of increase in antibodies does not automatically indicate the extent to which the actual protection against infection or disease is improved.
Israel had already started a vaccination campaign on Monday for people over 60 and medical staff who can now receive a fourth dose of vaccine. Around 10,000 Israelis had already been vaccinated with the fourth dose, and around 100,000 had made an appointment, said Bennett.
Sweden has a new high in new corona infections. The authorities registered 11,507 new cases as of December 30, including late reports. The previous high was at the end of December 2020 at 11,376 new infections. The new corona wave, which was triggered by the contagious Omicron variant, hit Sweden later than its Nordic neighbors. It has recently led to a sharp increase in the number of cases and more hospital admissions.
In the United States, the number of new corona infections recorded daily exceeded the one million mark for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. With around 1.084 million new cases on Monday, authorities recorded almost twice as many as exactly a week ago (544,329), according to data from Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in Baltimore on Tuesday. The previous high was recorded on December 30th with 590,576 new infections. The number of deaths with a confirmed corona infection remained comparatively stable at 1693 on Monday. Due to the holidays, however, the data should be assessed with caution.
With a view to the spreading omicron variant of the corona virus, Thuringia is switching to crisis mode. In its meeting on Tuesday, the cabinet decided to call the Interministerial Working Team for Emergency Situations (IMAS), the Interior Ministry said. This means that the IMAS office will formally become the state government’s crisis team.
Interior Minister Georg Maier (SPD) said that this was intended to ensure that the critical infrastructure in the Free State was able to work. The state government sees it as necessary to take organizational precautions due to the expected high incidence rates of the Omikron variant. “Above all, this means being prepared in terms of staff and structure and not chasing after the infection dynamics that are already recognizable today,” emphasized the minister.
The first IMAS meeting had already taken place to clarify the further work processes. The IMAS is initially called for four weeks and can be extended if necessary. The staff unite the ministries’ responsibilities in pandemic management in one place. The Ministry of Social Affairs remains responsible for managing the pandemic.