Israeli heart surgeon is world’s 1st healthy person to get 4th COVID shot, in trial
‘I did this with a full, full heart,’ says Prof. Jacob Lavee of Sheba hospital, which is conducting a landmark study to establish necessity of a fourth dose to combat the virus
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israe...-1st-healthy-person-to-get-4th-dose-in-trial/
Professor Jacob Lavee receives a fourth dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel, Monday, Dec. 27, 2021. (AP/Tsafrir Abayov)
An Israeli heart surgeon apparently became the first healthy person in the world to receive a medically sanctioned fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose on Monday, as Sheba Medical Center launched a landmark study to test the efficacy of the additional shot.
“I did this with a full, full heart for two reasons — first, to protect myself,” Prof. Jacob (Jay) Lavee told Israeli media. “And no less important, my desire to avoid transmitting the disease to our patients.”
Lavee was the first of some 150 health workers at the hospital outside Tel Aviv participating in the study to get the vaccine.
“I am definitely the first in Israel,” he said but noted that some immuno-compromised people had already received a fourth shot in some countries and conceded it was possible that others have illegally obtained additional vaccines.
The health workers who received the fourth dose had also been among the first people to receive the third dose, and had a lower level of antibodies than their coworkers. They will receive the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which is the inoculation used in Israel.
Lavee stressed the importance of medical workers forging the path.
“I think there is a great importance that our medical team not be a vector for the disease and therefore the fourth booster is important,” said Lavee, who heads the heart transplant unit. “Do not fear the vaccine. It’s effective, it’s for the benefit of our future. Go get vaccinated.”
Lavee said he did not experience any immediate side effects after the shot, and reiterated that studies conducted around the world, in Israel, and at Sheba had repeatedly shown that the vaccines were safe.
Sheba’s Prof. Gili Regev-Yochay, a lead researcher in the experiment, said the start of the process was “an exciting moment.”
“This study will test the effect of the fourth vaccine dose on the level of antibodies, on preventing contagion, and check its safety,” Regev-Yochay said.
“This study is expected to shed light on the additional benefit of giving a fourth dose, and lead us to understand whether and to whom it is worth giving a fourth dose,” she added.
“There are many questions so it’s important to conduct this in a serious manner,” she said. “It could be that we’ve reached a maximum and a fourth shot will not give much. That’s what we’re checking. In a few more days we’ll know if it’s safe and effective.”
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