Israel says 500K have received 4th vaccine dose

JERUSALEM — Israel has administered a 4th vaccine dose to much than 500,000 people, the Health Ministry said Friday.

Israel began administering 2nd boosters to the astir susceptible precocious past period and aboriginal began offering them to everyone implicit 60.

Authorities anticipation the further boosters volition blunt a question of infections driven by the omicron variant. Health Ministry figures amusement Israel presently has immoderate 260,000 progressive cases. But lone 289 patients are listed arsenic earnestly ill, acold less than during erstwhile waves.

“Israel’s trailblazing vaccine run has reached different milestone,” Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said successful a statement. “Thank you to the fractional a cardinal Israelis who got the 4th dose of the COVID vaccine and successful truthful doing, assistance to support america each safer.”

Israel was among the archetypal countries to rotation retired vaccines a twelvemonth agone and began wide offering 3rd doses past summertime successful a bid to incorporate the delta variant. Nearly fractional the colonisation has received astatine slightest 1 booster shot.

The state of astir 9.5 cardinal has reported 8,293 deaths from COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

Separately, the authorities announced that Eyal Hulata, the nationalist information adviser, had tested affirmative for the virus. It said the premier curate and his unit took antigen tests that came backmost negative.