Israelis over 40 and teachers are now eligible for a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, the health minister said, hoping an expansion of the booster campaign will fend off the coronavirus Delta variant.

The expansion of booster eligibility, following a recommendation by health ministry experts, comes a day after the United States announced plans to offer booster doses to all Americans, citing data showing diminishing protection.

Other countries, including Canada, France and Germany, have also planned booster campaigns, according to Reuters.

Israel began administering third doses to people over 60 in July, later dropping the minimum age of eligibility to 50 and offering boosters to health workers and others. The health ministry cited waning immunity as well as the Delta variant's high infectiousness.