Many countries are grappling with whether to give their citizens booster jabs. The experience of Israel may be instructive, says naftalibennett
combats covid-19, vaccines are critical. But should people in developed countries receive booster doses, especially before others in poor ones have received their first jab? Many countries are grappling with these questions, in particular America, Britain and those in Europe. The experience of Israel may be instructive.A daily email with the best of our journalismIn July my government decided to administer a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to the Israeli public.
Like war, a pandemic is fraught with uncertainty, partial information, rapid change and the need to make quick decisions and take decisive action. Sometimes, not making risky decisions can be more damaging than taking a calculated risk. Taking those risks is the responsibility of elected leaders. After repeated meetings with immunologists and examining the data, we soon reached the conclusion that it was a combination of both factors. The high proportion of Israelis who had had their two doses early in the vaccination campaign were also more vulnerable to the new strain when their defences started to weaken. It was a classic case of “breakthrough” infections—when fully vaccinated people get infected.
As prime minister, I had two options: either drag Israel into yet another set of lockdowns and further harm our economy and society, or to double down on vaccines as the central strategy, together with less restrictive measures such as a face-mask mandate in closed spaces and the “Green Pass” scheme that requires people to carry proof of being vaccinated or negative test results in order to participate in various activities.
The large number of booster jabs has allowed researchers to observe in real time the effectiveness of the vaccine after a third dose. The studies so far show that the third dose is sufficient to boost resistance back to the level after the first two. Waiting too long to administer third doses risks squandering gains already made through vaccination and eroding valuable public trust. Israel’s experience shows that timely booster jabs can counter the next wave of infections.
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