An Israeli hospital said on Monday that preliminary studies suggest a fourth dose of a coronavirus vaccine would provide only limited defense against a variant of the omicron that has ravaged the world.

Sheba Hospital last month began administering the fourth vaccine to more than 270 medical staff — 154 of them received the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine and another 120 received the Moderna vaccine. All had 3 previous Pfizer-BioNtech vaccines.

The clinical trial found a “slightly higher” increase in antibodies in both groups compared to last year’s third vaccine. But it said the increased antibodies did not stop the spread of omicron.

“Despite the increase in antibody levels, the fourth vaccine provides only partial defense against the virus,” said Dr. Gili Regev-Yochay, chief of the hospital’s infectious diseases department. “These vaccines are more effective against previous variants and offer less protection than omicron.”

The preliminary results have raised questions about Israel’s decision to give its population over the age of 60 a second booster shot — and a fourth overall. The government said more than 500,000 people had received a second booster in recent weeks.

Complete News Source : Hindustan Times