I already know people who are already doing this because they are in the front lines and have some vulnerabilities. It should be made available to everyone in those categories at the very least:
A fourth shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine generated a fivefold boost in antibodies a week after the jab, according to preliminary results of a study made public by the Israeli government Tuesday.
The findings offer one of the first looks at how effective a second booster shot might be at reducing the health impact of the omicron variant spreading rapidly around the globe.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, in a statement, said the preliminary results indicated “a very high likelihood that the fourth dose will protect vaccinated people to a great degree against infection to some degree and against severe symptoms.”
Israel now offering fourth covid shot to anyone 60 and older
Israel this week became the first country to launch a major second-booster campaign, making the fourth vaccination available to anyone 60 and older whose last shot was at least four months ago. Bennett’s office said more than 100,000 Israelis have registered or been vaccinated for their fourth shot in the two days of the campaign.
Critics had said the move was premature in the absence of data on a second booster’s safety and effectiveness. Some researchers didn’t rule out that repeat doses of the same vaccine could dampen the body’s immune response.
But the study, conducted by Israel’s Sheba Medical Center, could steer more policymakers toward an aggressive booster policy if it holds up to further analysis. Previous research from South Africa and Britain have suggested that omicron, while more infectious than other coronavirus variants, is less likely to cause serious illness in fully vaccinated individuals.
Researchers recruited subjects from the first round of Israelis given the second booster shot last month, 150 healthy adult medical workers of all ages. All had received previous doses of the Pfizer vaccine. The study first screened for adverse reactions to the fourth shot but found nothing concerning.
I’m already hearing on my TV that we shouldn’t do it because a lot of people aren’t even getting their third shot, as if it’s a zero sum game. I will never understand that logic, but it’s the same logic they used to slam the Biden administration when it recommended third shots last summer and are now blaming them for “mixed messaging.” (It’s the knee-jerk naysayers who are mixing the messaging but whatever…)
Let’s hope people have learned something from that mistake and at least allow for older people and those with underlying conditions to qualify for a fourth shot soon. At this point it really feels as if it is every man for himself and they shouldn’t make it harder to save your own life in a country full of people who have signed on to a death cult.