Fauci presented data from Israel that showed waning immunity to the virus after about eights months that he said “supported the rationale for COVID-19 booster shots.” After the more transmissible Delta variant arrived in Israel in early summer, the number of positive coronavirus cases and severe COVID-related illnesses rose among vaccinated individuals between June and August. By then, many Israelis had been vaccinated for more than half a year, a testament to the speed with which the small, technologically advanced nation had conducted its inoculation campaign.
Faced with an unexpected Delta-fueled surge, Israel began to administer booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine on July 30 to older individuals, who are the most likely to become ill with COVID-19. Less than two weeks thereafter, Israel saw what Fauci described as a “rather substantial positive impact,” with “a greater-than-tenfold diminution in the relative risk of both confirmed infection and severe disease.”
Later in the briefing, Fauci said that the protection conferred by a third shot was “dramatic” and “durable.” One Israeli study found that, three weeks after a third shot, the risk of infection dropped by as much as 84 percent, when compared to a two-shot regimen.
Of the three vaccines now approved for use in the U.S., those manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna use mRNA technology. Initially, two doses were considered sufficient, but many virologists now believe immunity needs the enhancement that comes with a third shot.
I'm with you, Nick. Chris and I got the Pfizer shots back in March but I have little faith in any government agency or doctors these days. Besides, after 18 months, unless you spent the whole time at home I would bet 80% or more of us have been exposed to Covid. The results in Israel sound promising, I just hope their data is more dependable than ours.
