Omicron Israel

Israel will continue to offer a fourth COVID-19 vaccine shot despite preliminary findings that it is not enough to prevent Omicron infections, a senior health official said on Tuesday, predicting contagions stoked by the variant will wane in a week.

Fourth doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines against Covid-19 are only "partially" effective for the Omicron variant of the virus, the authors of an Israeli trial said Monday.

Israel's response to the Covid pandemic has been closely watched worldwide, notably for its rapid vaccine rollout and early decision to offer booster shots before there was broad scientific support for a third dose.

A year after rolling out the world's fastest coronavirus vaccination program, Israel again finds itself a global test case as it begins widely delivering fourth doses amid a surge in the omicron variant.

Britain and Israel are overhauling their COVID-19 testing policies as governments seek to reduce the burden on laboratories and struggle with tight supplies of kits amid soaring infection rates fuelled by the Omicron variant.

Israel will start offering a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine to people aged 60 and over, becoming the first country in the world to widely disseminate the extra jab to fight off the omicron strain.

A surge of Omicron infections could see Israel reaching herd immunity, the country's top health official said on Sunday as daily cases continued to climb.

Israel on Friday started giving fourth Covid vaccine shots to people with weakened immunity, becoming one of the first countries to do so in hopes of countering a case surge driven by the Omicron variant.

Israel's health ministry on Thursday authorised a fourth vaccine shot for people with weakened immune systems to help confront rising Covid cases driven by the highly infectious Omicron variant.

An Israeli hospital administered fourth COVID-19 vaccine doses to a test group of health workers on Monday, in what it called the first major study into whether a second round of boosters will help contend with the fast-spreading Omicron variant.

Israel will administer a fourth dose of coronavirus vaccine to people over the age of 60 and medical personnel, becoming the first nation in the world to do so on such a widespread basis as the omicron variant barrels across the world.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Tuesday Israelis over the age of 60 and medical teams will be eligible for a fouth Covid vaccination, following the recommendation of an expert panel.

Israel's health ministry Sunday recommended banning Israelis from travelling to the United States, and added several European countries to its Covid "red list", aimed at containing the Omicron variant's spread.

Israel announced on Sunday it was adding Britain and Denmark to its "red" list of countries that Israelis are forbidden to visit, citing concern over the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

Japan said on Monday it would close its borders to foreigners, as the world's third-largest economy joined Israel in taking the toughest measures against the new coronavirus variant Omicron, which also cast a cloud over Australia's re-opening plans.

Israel will continue to offer a fourth COVID-19 vaccine shot despite preliminary findings that it is not enough to prevent Omicron infections, a senior health official said on Tuesday, predicting contagions stoked by the variant will wane in a week.

Fourth doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines against Covid-19 are only "partially" effective for the Omicron variant of the virus, the authors of an Israeli trial said Monday.

Israel's response to the Covid pandemic has been closely watched worldwide, notably for its rapid vaccine rollout and early decision to offer booster shots before there was broad scientific support for a third dose.

A year after rolling out the world's fastest coronavirus vaccination program, Israel again finds itself a global test case as it begins widely delivering fourth doses amid a surge in the omicron variant.

Britain and Israel are overhauling their COVID-19 testing policies as governments seek to reduce the burden on laboratories and struggle with tight supplies of kits amid soaring infection rates fuelled by the Omicron variant.

Israel will start offering a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine to people aged 60 and over, becoming the first country in the world to widely disseminate the extra jab to fight off the omicron strain.

A surge of Omicron infections could see Israel reaching herd immunity, the country's top health official said on Sunday as daily cases continued to climb.

Israel on Friday started giving fourth Covid vaccine shots to people with weakened immunity, becoming one of the first countries to do so in hopes of countering a case surge driven by the Omicron variant.

Israel's health ministry on Thursday authorised a fourth vaccine shot for people with weakened immune systems to help confront rising Covid cases driven by the highly infectious Omicron variant.

An Israeli hospital administered fourth COVID-19 vaccine doses to a test group of health workers on Monday, in what it called the first major study into whether a second round of boosters will help contend with the fast-spreading Omicron variant.

Israel will administer a fourth dose of coronavirus vaccine to people over the age of 60 and medical personnel, becoming the first nation in the world to do so on such a widespread basis as the omicron variant barrels across the world.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Tuesday Israelis over the age of 60 and medical teams will be eligible for a fouth Covid vaccination, following the recommendation of an expert panel.

Israel's health ministry Sunday recommended banning Israelis from travelling to the United States, and added several European countries to its Covid "red list", aimed at containing the Omicron variant's spread.

Israel announced on Sunday it was adding Britain and Denmark to its "red" list of countries that Israelis are forbidden to visit, citing concern over the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

Japan said on Monday it would close its borders to foreigners, as the world's third-largest economy joined Israel in taking the toughest measures against the new coronavirus variant Omicron, which also cast a cloud over Australia's re-opening plans.