Israeli study: Covid vaccines offer children, teens significant protection against omicron
The study shows that vaccines administered in the past few months are effective against the variant
Data released by Israel's Health Ministry shows that children and adolescents vaccinated against Covid-19 are more protected against the omicron variant than those who are not.
The study, conducted in collaboration with the Weizmann Institute, Hebrew University, and the Gertner Institute at Sheba Medical Center, shows that vaccines administered in the past few months are effective against the ultra-contagious variant.
Children aged 5 to 11 who received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine were half as likely to be infected with omicron than unvaccinated children, the study found.
Additionally, adolescents aged 12 to 15 who received a booster dose within the last two months were four times less likely to be infected than those who did not.
In total, only about 12 percent of children aged 5 to 11 in Israel have received two doses of vaccine, and less than 12 percent of children aged 12 to 15 have received three doses.
More than 4.3 million people have received three doses of vaccine and more than 530,000 people have received four doses.
Israel recently passed 2 million Covid cases since the first positive test was recorded on February 21, 2020, according to data published by the Health Ministry.
Health Ministry Director-General Prof. Nachman Ash on Tuesday said that the omicron variant would peak "in another week or so," warning, however, that daily cases will increase in the coming week.