A man waits to receive his third dose of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine at the Clalit Healthcare Maintenance Organisation in Jerusalem, August 13, 2021. REUTERS/Ammar Awad

Israel expanded its COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to those over 30 years old on Tuesday, broadening its booster campaign to fend off the coronavirus Delta variant.

A statement from the Health Ministry said its decision to lower the age of eligibility for a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine from 40 to 30 followed a recommendation of its advising experts and its epidemiology task-force and vaccines committee. Boosters are administered to people who have received their second dose at least five months ago.

The announcement came as 9,831 new cases of infection were reported since Monday, according to the Health Ministry.

Findings published by the government on Sunday showed that a third dose of of the Pfizer vaccine significantly improved protection from infection and serious illness among people aged 60 and older in Israel, compared with those who received two shots.