As the UK approves the Oxford University / AstraZeneca Covid vaccine, the latest attempt to get approval, a global attempt to vaccinate billions, is gaining momentum. Governments worldwide are going to look at Israel, which is advancing with an ambitious vaccination.
By the end of this week, the country of 9 million is expected to have injected more than 10% of its population with vaccines, a much larger percentage than other countries, including the UK, which had started vaccination almost two weeks earlier.
What is Israel’s timetable?
The Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, promise Israelis that the country will be the first to “come out” of the pandemic if they work together.
After a 24/7 operation, healthcare providers are giving the first dose of Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine at 150,000 people a day – almost 2% of the population.
More than 60-year-olds, health workers, caregivers and high-risk people are put first. Local media have reported that with Pfizer and Moderna they need to obtain a few more million doses by the beginning of 2021, which is critical to sustain the pace.
How did Israel do the world’s fastest vaccination?
Israel has some natural advantages as it is a relatively small country in terms of geography and population.
Yet many other countries have these characteristics. Israel’s initial success is also attributed to its health care system, which preceded the creation of the state and is now highly digitalized. Everyone over the age of 18 is required to register with government-linked insurance agencies, and army doctors are called in to help.
At the same time, the government has launched a powerful campaign against misinformation against wax. The Ministry of Justice has successfully requested Facebook to remove four groups that ‘published content to publish deceptions about coronavirus vaccines’.
Residents are also encouraged to pay attention by officials who wrapped up the prospect of a ‘green passport’, a document that allows vaccinated people to eat in restaurants, travel freely and be exempt from quarantine. However, since there is no evidence that vaccines reduce transmission, the idea was skeptically satisfied.
Is there a political dimension to the implementation?
Yes, a big one. Netanyahu will have to fight a competitive national election on March 23, giving the prime minister a major incentive to get Israel back to normal in the next three months – and then demand credit for it.
Earlier this month, after Pfizer announced positive preliminary results, Netanyahu said he had been working “24 hours a day” to reach an agreement, including a 02:00 call to the company’s CEO make.
Many Israelis have so far been disappointed with their government’s response to the crisis. The country is under a penal national exclusion, with accusations that authorities have squandered opportunities to keep infection rates low.
What about the Palestinians?
Millions of Palestinians living under Israeli control in the occupied West Bank and Gaza are not included in the vaccine, leading to accusations that the country has moral, humanitarian and legal obligations.
While Israeli settlers living deep within the West Bank are already being vaccinated, Palestinians around them may have to wait months.
Palestinian officials hope to get some shots fired through a WHO-led partnership called COVAX. Nevertheless, Gerald Rockenschaub, the head of WHO Jerusalem, said it could be “early to mid-2021” before vaccines become available for distribution in the Palestinian territories.
Israeli officials have suggested that they supply excess vaccines to Palestinians, and the Palestinian Authority has not officially asked for help.
Gisha, an Israeli rights group, said cooperation between the Palestinian Authority and the international community “does not absolve Israel of its ultimate responsibility to Palestinians under occupation”.
The inequality not only represents a stark microcosm of what is happening around the world – with richer, more powerful countries to be vaccinated first – but it could also affect Israel’s own ability to leave the pandemic.
Thousands of West Bank Palestinians work in Israel and Jewish settlements, potentially slowing the country’s path to the goal of herd immunity.
Are any other countries making rapid progress as well?
Bahrain, a Gulf country with a population of about 1.5 million, is in second place, with 3% of the population receiving a slap. Other small, wealthy states in the region, such as Kuwait, may soon overtake Israel.