Coronavirus: Israel prepares for fourth dose and vaccinations every 5-6 months

The head of the scientific committee that handles the pandemic in Israel, Mr. Salman Zarka, today stated that a fourth dose will be needed either every 5-6 months or at most once a year.  "Since it (the Coronavirus) is here and will continue to be here, we must prepare for a fourth dose," he said, speaking on a radio station in the country.

However, he did not specify when this was planned to take place.

Zarka also stated that the next booster shot is likely to be tailored to offer greater protection against new mutations in the virus, such as the Delta strain, which has been sweeping the country in recent months.  "If we are to learn from the fourth wave, we must seriously take into consideration the possibility of successive waves with new mutations, such as the new one being recorded in South America," he said in an interview with the Times of Israel last month.

"It seems that every few months - maybe once a year or every five to six months, we will need an extra dose," he added.  He continued on by saying that at the end of 2021 or early next year, Israel will be in a better position to deal with mutations.

Israel became the first country in the world to start administering the third dose with the Pfizer vaccine and recently lowered the vaccination age limit from 30 to 12 years old.  As of last Friday, more than 2.5 million Israelis had received a booster shot.