Prime Minister of Israel Naftali Bennett received the third vaccination of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine against COVID-19 after Israel extended vaccinations for people over 40 in an attempt to suppress the spread of the Delta variant.

The number of new coronavirus cases has sharply risen in Israel, and 49-year-old Bennett is trying to avoid the economically dreadful national lockdown by offering the third doses.

People over 60 started receiving the second dose in July (the lowest age is now 50).

The Ministry of Health says boosters will now be injected into people over 40 whose second vaccination was carried out five months ago and recommends teachers, medical workers, caretakers of the elderly and pregnant women of all ages to get vaccinated.