Monday Jun 16, 2025
NEWSLETTER
www.israelhayom.com
  • Home
  • Iran War
  • News
    • Gaza War
    • US Election Coverage
    • Middle East
    • Cyber & Internet
    • Business & Finance
  • Opinions
  • Jewish World
    • Archaeology
    • Antisemitism
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Culture
  • Magazine
    • Feature
    • Analysis
    • Explainer
  • In Memoriam
www.israelhayom.com
  • Home
  • Iran War
  • News
    • Gaza War
    • US Election Coverage
    • Middle East
    • Cyber & Internet
    • Business & Finance
  • Opinions
  • Jewish World
    • Archaeology
    • Antisemitism
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Culture
  • Magazine
    • Feature
    • Analysis
    • Explainer
  • In Memoriam
www.israelhayom.com
Home Special Coverage Coronavirus Outbreak

As reproduction rate rises, concerns booster failing to protect Israelis from COVID-19

Health Ministry officials say no signs of diminishing booster efficacy at this stage. Israeli study finds newborns best protected from virus when their mothers are vaccinated between Weeks 27 and 31 of their pregnancies.

by  Maytal Yasur Beit-Or and i24NEWS
Published on  11-21-2021 13:26
Last modified: 11-21-2021 13:49
As reproduction rate rises, concerns booster failing to protect Israelis from COVID-19Oren Ben Hakoon

A slight decrease in the protection offered by the booster dose is to be expected, Health Ministry officials say | Photo: Oren Ben Hakoon

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

With the coronavirus reproduction rate on the rise in recent days, medical officials have raised concerns protection provided by the third booster shot is beginning to wear off.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Health Ministry officials, however, have rejected the claims, saying they have seen no signs of such a phenomenon at this stage.

Researchers tracking the efficacy of the booster shot noted that a slight decline in the protection provided by the booster dose is to be expected. They further said immunity could be maintained in other components of the immune system.

Researchers at Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer are embarking on a study on effective antigens, which also play a role in protection from the coronavirus.

A senior Health Ministry official said, "There are no signs of a reduction in the impact of the booster, and [saying] that [is the case] is unreasonable as it is too soon for it to impact the reproduction rate. Even when you look at the mix of confirmed cases, you see these [people] are [comprised of the] unvaccinated and those who did not receive the third dose."

Professor Gili Regev-Yochay, the director of Sheba Medical Center's Infectious Disease Epidemiology Unit, is leading the study on antigen levels. She said: "Even if there are one or three participants in our study in whom we identify a decrease in antigen levels, we still cannot draw conclusions. The data is still under examination, and I hope we will have more information soon.

"The decrease in antigen levels is expected with time, and it's really not concerning because we are looking not only at the antigens but other things as well, such as the significance of the antigens and their quality. Right now, the data is very reassuring and should not be a cause for concern."

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

As for when Israelis might expect to receive a fourth dose of the vaccine, Regev-Yochay said, "It won't be [another] six months, but longer. If it's 10 months after the booster, a year or two years, I still can't say."

Professor Dror Meborach, the head of Hadassah Ein Kerem's coronavirus unit, added: "There is no evidence of a decline in the booster's defense levels. On the contrary, we saw memory B cells that developed after vaccination with the booster. These are cells that create a lot of antibodies when they come in contact with the virus, and I, therefore, trust that the [efficacy of] the booster has not declined. I expect the booster vaccine to prove effective for longer than we think." He said the reason for the current outbreak "is the same reason this pandemic is taking place, which is that there are local outbreaks, which are right now often mediated through children. I hope Ben-Gurion Airport won't [result in] another outbreak due to the easing of restriction. The big question is whether the reproduction rate of 1.02 will continue to increase to 1.1-1.2 and then we will have the outbreak of a fifth wave."

Meanwhile, another Israeli study has found that newborns are best protected from the coronavirus when their mothers are vaccinated between Weeks 27 and 31 of their pregnancies.

According to the study, newborn babies whose mothers are inoculated at this stage in their pregnancy receive a higher level of antibodies than those born to women who were inoculated later on in their pregnancies, Haaretz reported.

The findings of the study by researchers from Hadassah University Medical Center and the Hebrew University's Faculty of Medicine, both in Jerusalem, were published in the European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infection earlier this month.

Dr. Amihai Rottenstreich, who along with Dr. Shay Porat and Professor Dana Wolf led the study, said, "We estimate that the placenta is able to filter and select only the most efficient antibodies for neutralizing the virus," Haaretz reported.

He further explained that "vaccinating pregnant women causes the antibodies … to be passed through the placenta to the fetus, thereby providing protection to newborns."

According to Rottenstreich, this is important because COVID results in more serious illness among newborns than older children, and "newborns can be another source for spreading the disease."

The research team is currently embarking on another study examining the impact of vaccination timing throughout the entire pregnancy among 400 women.

"Perhaps we should examine a recommendation unvaccinated women receive the first dose early in the pregnancy and the second one between Weeks 27 and 31 of pregnancy," Rottenstreich said.

The coronavirus vaccine has yet to be approved for children between the ages of six months and four years, although clinical studies on this age group are currently underway. Israel recently approved kids' sized doses of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine for children aged 5 to 11. Thousands of such pediatric doses arrived at Ben-Gurion Airport Saturday.

In an interview with Kan Radio last week, coronavirus chief Professor Salman Zarka said the path to Israel providing Israeli patients with Pfizer's antiviral COVID pill would be a long one. He said, "The drug company still needs to submit materials to the US Food and Drug Administration and receive authorization, but we have already bought doses of the medicine anyway."

Commenting on the waning fourth wave, Zarka said the Health Ministry was closely monitoring new variants of the virus around the world. "It will be difficult to prevent a new variant from entering Israel, but we really want to identify it early, and that is why we have our finger on the pulse."

i24NEWS contributed to this report.

Related Posts

A bat from the past? Scientists identify new Covid-like virusThomas Peter/Reuters

A bat from the past? Scientists identify new Covid-like virus

by Adi Nirman

Discovery at Wuhan facility shows virus uses similar cell entry mechanism as COVID-19.

Israel reinstates PCR tests at Ben-Gurion AirportYossi Zeliger

Israel reinstates PCR tests at Ben-Gurion Airport

by Shimon Yaish

Travelers returning from abroad can be tested for COVID at the government's expense. Testing is voluntary, for now.

Israel launches COVID vaccination campaign for children 5 and youngerGetty Images

Israel launches COVID vaccination campaign for children 5 and younger

by Maytal Yasur Beit-Or

Parents inoculating young children will be able to choose between Moderna and Pfizer shots. Healthcare providers stress the importance of...

Menu

Analysis 

Archaeology

Blogpost

Business & Finance

Culture

Exclusive

Explainer

Environment

 

Features

Health

In Brief

Jewish World

Judea and Samaria

Lifestyle

Cyber & Internet

Sports

 

Diplomacy 

Iran & The Gulf

Gaza Strip

Politics

Shopping

Terms of use

Privacy Policy

Submissions

Contact Us

About Us

The first issue of Israel Hayom appeared on July 30, 2007. Israel Hayom was founded on the belief that the Israeli public deserves better, more balanced and more accurate journalism. Journalism that speaks, not shouts. Journalism of a different kind. And free of charge.

All rights reserved to Israel Hayom

Hosted by sPD.co.il

  • Home
  • Iran War
  • News
    • Gaza War
    • US Election Coverage
    • Middle East
    • Cyber & Internet
    • Business & Finance
    • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Jewish World
    • Archaeology
    • Antisemitism
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Culture
  • Magazine
    • Feature
    • Analysis
    • Explainer
    • Environment & Wildlife
    • Health & Wellness
  • In Memoriam
  • Subscribe to Newsletter
  • Submit your opinion
  • Terms and conditions

All rights reserved to Israel Hayom

Hosted by sPD.co.il

Newsletter

[contact-form-7 id=”508379″ html_id=”isrh_form_Newsletter_en” title=”newsletter_subscribe”]

  • Home
  • Iran War
  • News
    • Gaza War
    • US Election Coverage
    • Middle East
    • Cyber & Internet
    • Business & Finance
    • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Jewish World
    • Archaeology
    • Antisemitism
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Culture
  • Magazine
    • Feature
    • Analysis
    • Explainer
    • Environment & Wildlife
    • Health & Wellness
  • In Memoriam
  • Subscribe to Newsletter
  • Submit your opinion
  • Terms and conditions

All rights reserved to Israel Hayom

Hosted by sPD.co.il