The Covid infection rate in people who took a booster shot is declining, a latest report from the health ministry of Israel said. Israel is the first country in the world to administer booster shots which started in late June.
The country was very successful in vaccine rollout and almost all areas of the economy were reopened recently. But it caused a huge surge in Covid cases and more than 150 people lost lives within a week. It was the Delta variant which caused this sudden increase.
Realizing the importance of booster shots, the authorities started to administer a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine to people aged above 60, on July 30. Later it was expanded to those who aged 40 and above.
As per the latest report from by Reuters after interviewing scientists and the data from the health ministry in Israel, the case numbers have been dropped since last 10 days, among those aged above 60. The rate of disease spread among vaccinated people aged 60 and over – known as the reproduction rate – began falling steadily around August 13th and has dipped below 1, indicating that each infected person is transmitting the virus to fewer than one other person. A reproduction rate of less than 1 means an outbreak is subsiding.
“This is likely due to the third booster shots, an uptake in people taking the first dose and the high number of people infected per week, possibly up to 100,000, who now have natural immunity,” said Eran Segal, data scientist at the Weizmann Institute of Science and an adviser to the government. The scientists also indicate there may be other factors contributing the decline as well.
Though vaccines can prevent infection and reduce severity of illness, a recent study by the Oxford University warned that the protection from vaccine could fade out during the course of time. It is pointing towards the use of booster shots after giving second dose. But there are many countries where the majority have not fully vaccinated and booster shots will further delay the vaccine rollout in those countries. The WHO also had advised not to administer booster shots unless 10% of the population in each country are vaccinated. Many people are there who haven’t even got the first dose.
Recently the US had announced they would offer booster shots to all of their citizens, eight months after their second dose of vaccine. Canada, France and Germany have also planned booster shots.