When will I need a 4th COVID Booster Shot?It’s happening in Israel

A fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine may be readily available to anyone over the age of 18 in Israel, but do not expect additional doses. Booster shot Nevertheless, it is still offered in the United States Omicron surge Still grasping Utah and other parts of the country.

The recommendation On Tuesday, the medical advisory board to the Israeli government will provide a fourth injection to all adults 5 months after the third dose or recovery from the virus, which is another for people over the age of 60. It comes after new discoveries about the effectiveness of the booster effect.

In an analysis comparing older Israelis who received a fourth shot with Israelis who received a third dose at least four months ago, additional shots provided three times more protection against serious illness and 2 against infection. It was shown to provide double protection. Omicron variant According to the virus The Times of Israel Report..

Omicron, the most contagious variant to date, is causing a surge in COVID-19 in Israel, which has not yet peaked. Utah is in a similar situation, but Underestimation State officials say to most people with symptoms Skip overwhelming test facilities Simply quarantine for 5 days.

On Tuesday, the Utah Department of Health reported 6,600 new cases and 10 additional deaths from the virus. The seven-day average of positive tests is now 9,205 per day, more than double the past record for last winter, and hospitalizations remain high at 747.

However, the focus of Utah and the United States is still on the first booster shot. It is the responsibility of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine if more booster shots are needed in the United States, but so far a fourth dose is recommended only for moderate and severe immunocompromised conditions. I am.

The dose is booster because it is intended to enhance the response to the first vaccination series of people who are being treated for cancer, have undergone an organ transplant, or are in another condition that affects antibody production. Not considered a shot. It has declined over time.

Both Pfizer and Moderna say they will need additional booster shots in the coming months. Booster Shots are now available to anyone over the age of 12, and were first approved by the CDC last fall for a particular group.Utah was in several states Rapid expansion Their availability.

“We will carefully monitor the CDC’s recommendations for additional booster doses,” said Tom Hudachko, spokesman for the State Health Department. Currently, there are no recommendations for another booster shot for Americans, but he said, “This is subject to change in the future.”

Meanwhile, he said the State Department of Health “continues to emphasize the importance of those who are eligible to obtain booster doses.”All data Booster dose Reduces the chances of someone getting seriously ill or hospitalized. “

Dr. Eddie Stenehjem, Physician for Infectious Diseases at Intermountain Healthcare, the region’s largest healthcare provider, recently said CDC research Includes 10 states including Utah where the third booster shot was found “Critical impact” He did not mention whether a fourth dose was needed for Omicron.

“We don’t have the answer to that,” Stenehjem said. “Here in the United States, we don’t have enough data to show the effectiveness of boosters in terms of post-booster time. Booster effectiveness can be as weak as in the two series, but this report does. There is no data about. That data will come. “

About 60% of Utahns are considered fully vaccinated. This means that more than two weeks have passed since the first series of vaccinations against the deadly virus (two doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or one dose of Johnson & Johnson).

According to it, it puts Utah straight in the middle of the state’s ranking by percentage of fully vaccinated residents. Data edited by The New York Times. Vermont is at the top of the list, with 79% of the population fully vaccinated and Idaho at the bottom with 48%.

In terms of boost doses, 41.1% of fully vaccinated Utahns (more than 777,000 of the 3.2 million people in the state) are boosted, according to the State Health Department. This is the same percentage reported by the CDC in the United States.