First findings from Israel: That’s how effective the third vaccination is

Israel continues to play a pioneering role in the field of corona vaccination. After half of all residents had already received the second vaccination dose in spring, the third vaccination dose is now being offered for people over 30 years of age due to increased vaccination breakthroughs. The booster vaccination is having an effect.

After vaccination breakthroughs and rising incidence figures were registered in June, despite a high vaccination rate, the Israeli Ministry of Health decided to offer the booster vaccination.

Third corona vaccination: Studies confirm effectiveness

Israeli scientists compared the number of new infections after a third vaccination with that after two vaccinations. The results speak in favor of a third vaccination:

• The incidence of COVID-19 infection was 11 times lower after a booster vaccination
• and the incidence of serious illnesses was up to 19 times lower than in those who received only two vaccinations.

The scientists also assume that people who decide to have a third vaccination act more cautiously and continue to consciously follow the AHA rules.

Earlier studies by the vaccine manufacturer BioNTech/Pfizer have already shown that the effectiveness of the vaccine fell from around 95 percent to 84 percent within the first six months – now that the highly infectious Delta variant is predominant, the number could be even lower. BioNTech/Pfizer therefore investigated the effectiveness of a third dose.

In the 23 participants, the third vaccination worked eight to nine months after the second vaccination:

• Antibody titers against the delta variant increased from 241 to 1,321 in 11 people aged 18 to 55.
• The titre also rose from 123 to 1,479 in the group of 65 to 85 year olds.

Moderna ‘s vaccine   had a similar effect. The vaccine manufacturer is currently working on the approval of a third vaccine dose.