"Why are so many vaccinated people catching coronavirus lately?" Many have been wondering lately that the Omicron variant is making its way in our country as well, giving unprecedented numbers of cases.
Experts, who from the beginning warned of a dizzying increase in the number of cases, explain that this is due to a number of factors, first and foremost the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant.
The timing of its appearance, in a period of holidays and vacations, with the number of people meeting, also played a role, while those unvaccinated are not responsible for the tragic developments, nor is the completely wrong belief of many vaccinated people that the vaccine makes them invulnerable to the dangerous virus and its variants.
The misunderstanding
People may mistakenly believe that vaccines against it Covid-19 They completely block the infection, but the truth is that they are designed primarily to prevent serious illness, says Luis Mansky, a virus researcher at the University of Minnesota.
And vaccines continue to do their job on this front, especially for those who have received the booster dose.
Two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine still offer strong protection against severe Omicron disease.
As for booster vaccines - especially the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines - they significantly increase antibody levels, possibly helping to prevent Omicron infection.
It is easier for the unvaccinated to infect vaccinated people
According to the Associated Press, Omicron seems to reproduce much more efficiently than previous variants. And if infected people have a high viral load, they are more likely to pass it on to others, especially unvaccinated people. 
Vaccinated people become infected and show mild symptoms
Vaccinated people who become infected are more likely to have mild symptoms or be asymptomatic, as vaccines activate multiple defenses in our immune system, making it much harder for Omicron to overcome them all.
Tips to stay safe have not changed.
Doctors say to wear masks indoors, to avoid overcrowding, to be vaccinated and to do booster doses.
How many doses are needed
Although vaccines do not always prevent infection with the virus, they clearly increase the chances of the disease being mild and the patient not having to be admitted to hospital.
With the spread of Omicron rapidly and the health system under pressure, the debate in the scientific community about whether a fourth dose is needed has already begun.
In fact, Israel has started studies and the first data are quite positive.
In particular, as the Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said, a fourth dose of vaccine against Covid-19 causes antibodies to increase fivefold one week after vaccination, stressing that these are preliminary study findings. 
The first results for the fourth dose of the vaccine are positive
"One week after the fourth dose, we know with a higher degree of certainty that the fourth dose is safe," said Bennett at the Sheba Medical Center, where he is receiving a second booster dose as part of a staff-to-patient trial. through an increase in Omicron variant infections in the country.
"The second news: We know that a week after the fourth dose, we see a fivefold increase in the number of antibodies in the person who was vaccinated," he told reporters.
"Most likely this means a significant increase in its action against infection and… hospitalization and (serious) symptoms," Bennett said in English. 
It is noted that Israel plays a leading role in the study of the effects of vaccines against Covid-19, as it is the country that proceeded the fastest with the two-dose vaccinations to a wider population a year ago and one of the first to give boosting doses.
It now administers a fourth dose of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine to people over the age of 60, healthcare professionals and immunocompromised patients.
in.gr