Israel set a new record by administering the fourth COVID-19 vaccine shot to people with weakened immunity on Friday, amid a surge in cases fuelled by the omicron variant.

This development comes exactly one year after the country commenced its vaccination drive on the back of a data-sharing accord with the US pharmaceutical company Pfizer, according to an AFP report.

More than four million Israelis have received three shots of the coronavirus vaccine.

The health ministry approved offering a fourth dose to immunocompromised people on Thursday, the day when more than 4,000 cases were recorded in the country.

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Residents of retirement homes and geriatric patients were also added to the list of those eligible.

“This decision was taken for fear of an increase in cases of contamination in such institutions that would endanger the health of these people,” the ministry said.

Among the first to receive these shots were heart transplant patients at Sheba hospital in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv. Health workers at the hospital had taken the test doses earlier this week. 

“We had good results with the third dose which only caused secondary effects such as light, localised pain. We can’t wait to see the results of this fourth dose,” said Galia Rahav, a doctor.

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Cardiologist Yael Peled said it would “increase protection against coronavirus”, reported AFP. 

Notably, Israel was one of the first countries to offer a third jab to the public. With this new initiative, it leads the world in offering a fourth dose of the vaccine. 

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said, “Israel will lead the way in administering a fourth vaccine to the Israeli people.”

“Israel’s strategy for overcoming omicron is clear: The greater the wave, the greater the protection we will need to overcome it,” he added.

Chile had also announced last week that it would start offering a fourth dose in February. Nearly 86% of its population is fully vaccinated, making it the country with the highest level of immunization against the coronavirus in Latin America, reported AP.