Israeli expert panel advises 4th vaccine dose for adults

JERUSALEM (AP) — An expert panel has advised the Israeli government to begin offering a fourth vaccine dose to everyone over the age of 18. The advisory committee said Tuesday that research shows a fourth dose provides three to five times the level of protection against serious disease and double the protection against infection compared to three doses. The Health Ministry’s director must approve the recommendation. Israel is already offering a second booster to everyone over the age of 60 and those at high risk. It began offering third doses to the general population last summer. There are currently some 580,000 active patients in Israel, with just 845 listed as seriously ill.