Realizing the Benefits of COVID-19 Boosters in Israel

Compared with two doses of BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech), a third dose decreased COVID-19 infection rates 10-fold and mortality by about 90%.

The rising incidence of COVID-19 across the U.S. has heightened concerns about effectiveness of the current COVID-19 vaccines and boosters. Two studies from Israel provide additional insights into the outcomes of boosting with a third dose of Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine.

Bar-On and colleagues performed a follow-up analysis of their prior efficacy study (NEJM JW Infect Dis Nov 2021; multiple citations), now using Israel Ministry of Health data from July 30 to October 10, 2021, in almost 4,700,000 individuals aged ≥16 years who had been immunized ≥5 months earlier. Among those who had received a booster ≥12 days earlier compared with non-boosted individuals, infection rates were lower by a factor of about 10 across all age groups and…

Reviewing Author

Richard T. Ellison III, MD

Disclosures

Consult/Advisory BoardAcurx Pharmaceuticals, LLC;

Grant/Research SupportDoctors Company Foundation, Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Richard T. Ellison III, MD

Disclosures

Consult/Advisory BoardAcurx Pharmaceuticals, LLC;

Grant/Research SupportDoctors Company Foundation, Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Realizing the Benefits of COVID-19 Boosters in Israel

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Reviewing Author