A fourth dose of the Pfizer vaccine has reduced the rate of coronavirus infection in the elderly, but protection against the infection appears to be short-lived, according to a major Israeli study.

Protection against coronavirus infection after the second booster dose weakened after only four weeks, according to a study by Israeli scientists published on Tuesday.

The experts also explained that the protection against the development of more severe forms of the disease did not disappear even six weeks after receiving the booster, but point out that additional studies should be done to assess the long-term protection.

The study, which involved 1,3 million people aged 60 and over, examined previously collected knowledge from the Israeli Ministry of Health database from January 10 to March 2, when the omicron variant prevailed.

The results of the study were released ahead of a meeting of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday to discuss the need for additional doses and a week after the US approved a second booster dose for people over 50 due to the spread of the omicron variant. BA.2.

The health ministers of most European countries have called on the governments of the member states of the Union to support the vaccination with the fourth dose, ie with a second booster in people over 60 years of age.

When it comes to Asian countries, South Korea began giving a fourth dose of the Covid-19 vaccine in February, and Singapore announced plans to offer a second booster dose to those over 80.

Another Israeli study last month found that the mortality rate of seniors receiving a second Pfizer booster was 78 percent lower than the mortality rate of those receiving just one extra dose.

Israel began offering a second booster dose in January.