Initial indications from Israel that the COVID-19 booster is effective

From TOI:

The rate of new COVID-19 patients being hospitalized in serious condition has slowed significantly as a result of the booster vaccine, experts said on Friday, anticipating that the current outbreak has been curbed.

After surpassing 700 concurrent serious cases earlier this week, Health Ministry data on Friday showed there were 689 patients hospitalized in serious condition, in what appeared to be the start of a decline in the country’s fourth virus wave.

Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said in a Friday report that Israel’s drive to administer widespread third COVID-19 vaccine shots had caused the change of trend, along with some reimposed restrictions. They added that in the coming days, the number of daily infections was similarly expected to start slowing down.

Eran Segal, a COVID expert and one of the top government advisers to the coronavirus cabinet, said the rate of serious cases out of all new infections dropped from around 2 percent to 1.4% in recent days.

Some people - including some who hate Israel - are bitterly opposed the booster shots.

Alice Rothchild, of "Jewish Voice for Peace"' Health Advisory Council,. tweeted "As Israel ignores WHO’s plea to stop booster shots, some Israeli experts side with the World Health Organization and claim the current policy is both morally and epidemiologically wrong."

There is no doubt that vaccines need to be distributed worldwide. But it makes no sense for nations to forego booster shots for their own people, especially when evidence is mounting that the vaccines lose their effectiveness over time. 

The international priority needs to be the manufacture and distribution to all who want the vaccine. Until there are enough vaccines for all, the problem of variants is going to continue no matter what.  Redistribution of vaccines that only last 6-8 months from some countries to others is barely a band-aid, and every nation is obligated to help its own citizens first. (Of course, vaccines that are within a month of expiration that would go unused should be prioritized for distribution elsewhere, and no one seems to have been doing that.)

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