Israel Likely to Expand Booster Shots to Those Aged 50 and Above

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Israel is expected to expand the eligibility for the booster shot (third dose) to those aged 50 and above.

On the 12th (local time), the Vaccine Advisory Committee under the Israeli Ministry of Health recommended the third dose for people aged 50 and older and healthcare workers, according to local media reports.

The Ministry of Health is expected to finalize and announce a plan to expand the third dose recipients, including a detailed schedule, soon. Clalit, Israel's largest Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), announced that it will start administering the third dose to those aged 50 and above from the 15th and will begin accepting reservations from the 13th.

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett requested the four major HMOs to prepare for the expansion of the third dose age group starting next week. The Times of Israel reported, "The Ministry of Health initially considered expanding the booster shot eligibility to those in their 40s and above, but after intense debate, the advisory committee set the age limit at 50 and above."

Israel became the first country in the world to start administering the third dose on the 12th of last month to people with weakened immunity due to immunosuppressive therapy after organ transplantation. On the 30th of the same month, the eligibility was expanded to elderly people aged 60 and above who had passed five months since their second dose.

So far, 716,518 people in Israel have completed the third dose of the vaccine. This is close to half of the elderly third dose vaccination target set by the Israeli government.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.