Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told reporters and cabinet members that the country does not know exactly to what degree the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine helps protect against the Delta variant, but it is “significantly less.”
According to Bennett, there has been an increase in the number of children being hospitalized in recent days.
More than 5.7 million Israelis have received at least one dose of the Pfizer injection.
Due to the Delta variant, Israel is said to be considering a new lockdown.
The Delta variant accounts for 31 percent of cases in the United States. There are also concerns about the effectiveness of vaccines against the Beta variant, which was first identified in South Africa.
Earlier this month Pfizer announced it will seek FDA authorization for a booster shot of its COVID-19 vaccine. Pfizer acknowledged its two-dose vaccine has shown less effectiveness against the Delta variant.