The International Debate on a Covid Vaccine Booster Shot

To boost or not to boost, that is the question (plus many others)

Israeli President Isaac Herzog receives the third vaccine dose. Image via Twitter

On July 30, Isaac Herzog, the president of Israel, became the first Israeli to receive a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine. At that moment, Israel became the first country in the world to widely administer a third vaccine dose for those over 60 years old.

The decision did not come lightly. It followed a heated debate that is still ongoing even now with over 619,000 Israelis already having received the booster. It is seemingly a debate surrounding one question: Should a booster dose be given? But it’s actually a much wider debate, one that poses a larger question — what is really going on?

After seeing zero levels of infection, Israel is experiencing a third pandemic wave. Image: Our World in Data

For a few months, it seemed like Israel was well over the pandemic. Restrictions were completely abolished; large events resumed, cinemas were reopened, and life returned to its pre-pandemic state. It was all thanks to the vaccines. Israel started its campaign early, it was efficient, and the public largely cooperated. My parents for example, both over 70, were fully vaccinated by January.