Israel to provide third dose of COVID vaccine to citizens above 60 years

Israel: The Prime Minister of Israel -  Naftali Bennett, has announced that it would soon be offering a third dose of the Pzifer COVID-19 vaccine to citizens who are above the age of 60. From Sunday, the individuals who have received their second jab of the COVID-19 vaccine atleast five months ago would be eligible for the third dose.The President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, who would turn 61 in the month of September this year, was the first one to receive the third dose of the Pzifer COVID-19 vaccine on Friday. During his address in a media briefing, PM Benett cited, "Findings explain that there is a decline in the body's immunity over time. The supplementary dose intends to build it up again and thus reduce the chances of infection and severe illness significantly."This decision of the Israeli government comes after the surge in COVID-19 infections and because of the spike in the highly contagious Delta variant in various nations. PM Benett further informed that a total of 2,000 individuals with a weak immune system have already received their third jab of the coronavirus vaccine without any side effects. "Experts have stated that it is not yet clear whether a third dose of the vaccine would reduce the infection cases of COVID-19 mutant," PM Benett noted. The Israeli government, earlier last month, reintroduced a requirement to wear masks indoors following a spike in coronavirus cases. Additionally, Globally, Israel is among the nations which have been successful in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. More than half of the Israeli population has been partially or fully vaccinated against the deadly virus, which is the fastest COVID-19 vaccination drive carried out. According to the COVID-19 statistics, since the COVID-19 outbreak, the country has reported around 870,000 confirmed infections of the novel coronavirus. So far, nearly 848,000 patients have been recovered from the virus, with almost 6,500 deaths.