Israel may become the first country to vaccinate an entire population against Kovid-19, the country’s health officials said, with nearly 10% of the population already receiving the first of two doses of Pfizer and biotech vaccines. The 12th day of the National Immunization Program commencing December 20.
According to international vaccination data cited by The New York Times, the speed and reach of Israel’s immunization program far exceeds that of the rest of the world.
Israel, with a population of 9 million, is followed by Bahrain, which has so far vaccinated about 3.4% of its 1.5 million inhabitants.
In the United States, by comparison, less than 1% of the population has been vaccinated, and in Europe only a small proportion of certain groups – such as health professionals – have received the vaccine so far.
In Israel, which prioritized health professionals and citizens over the age of 60, health professionals attributed several factors to the success of the program, including the fact that the population is relatively small and young.
“It’s a wonderful story,” said Rann Balisar, leader of the National Expert Advisory Team, which advises the government on the response to coronovirus.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also adopted the vaccination campaign as a personal mission and was praised for acquiring millions of doses of Pfizer and Modern vaccines.
