Amid concerns about the spread of Omicron, a new mutant of COVID-19, Israel has decided to review the fourth dose of the vaccine for the immunocompromised.
According to local media such as the Jerusalem Post on the 5th (local time), the Israeli Ministry of Health's Corona 19 Advisory Committee decided to discuss the issue of the fourth vaccination for the immunocompromised next week.
This is to reflect the results of a recent study showing that patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy for organ transplantation do not have sufficient immunity even after the third dose of the vaccine (booster shot).
According to a survey conducted in August by Rabin Medical Center and the largest medical management organization (HMO), in the case of lung transplant patients, only 18% of the lung transplant patients formed antibodies after the 1st and 2nd doses and only 33% after the booster shot dose.
In addition, among heart transplant patients, immunity was formed in 31% after the second vaccination and 58% after the booster shot.
Professor Cyril Cohen, director of the Institute of Immunology at Baylan University, said, "In the case of immunocompromised patients, the booster shot was already given six months ago. Therefore, they are at a high risk of COVID-19, so it is not a bad idea to give them a fourth dose."
However, he is in the position that he cannot guarantee whether the fourth vaccination will help prevent COVID-19 in immunocompromised people.
"The answer to this question is very complex," Cohen said. "There were a lot of skeptics when Israel started the third dose, but now the whole world agrees." .
He added, "The most important issue in the fourth vaccination review is safety," he added.
Earlier, in July, Israel conducted the world's first booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for immunocompromised patients.
Meanwhile, in Israel, 4 additional cases of Omicron mutation infection were reported on the same day, raising the cumulative number of infections to 11.
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