Fourth COVID vaccine shot sharply raises serious illness resistance for over 60s: Israel

Israel's health ministry says a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine given to people over 60 in the country made them three times more resistant to serious illness than thrice-vaccinated people in the same age group, as reported in U.S. News & World Report.

A preliminary study published by Israel's Sheba medical centre last week found that the fourth shot increases antibodies to even higher levels than the third, but "probably" not to the point that it could completely fend off the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

The ministry said on Sunday the study it conducted with several major Israeli universities and the Sheba centre compared 400,000 people over 60 who received the second booster with 600,000 people in the age group who were given a first booster shot more than four months ago.

As elsewhere, Israel has seen COVID-19 cases spiral due to Omicron, but it has logged no deaths from the variant.