In a first, Israel starts offering 3rd COVID-19 shot to senior citizens

Tel Aviv: Israel on Sunday started vaccinating citizens aged 60 and over with a third COVID-19 shot. 

The campaign enters a new stage in light of a surge in COVID-19 infections. The number of patients in serious condition has exceeded 200 for the first time since April.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog, 60, and his spouse were the first to get the booster shot at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv on Friday. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was also present there. His predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu, has also received the shot.

Israel launched mass COVID-19 immunization on December 20, using the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Israeli teenagers aged 12 to 15 have been able to get vaccinated since early June. At the moment, over 5.3 million people have been fully vaccinated under the two-dose regimen. (UNI)