As the UK approves the University of Oxford / AstraZeneca Covid vaccine, the latest move to get approval, a global effort to vaccinate billions gains momentum. Governments around the world will be looking to Israel, which is moving forward with an ambitious vaccination effort.
By the end of this week, the country of 9 million must have injected more than 10% of its population with vaccines, a much larger fraction than other states, including the United Kingdom, which started vaccinating almost two weeks earlier.
What is Israel’s schedule?
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, promised The Israelis say the country will be the first to “emerge” from the pandemic if they cooperate.
Having increased to a 24/7 operation, healthcare providers are administering the first dose of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine at a rate of 150,000 people a day – almost 2% of the population.
Over the age of 60, health professionals, caregivers and high-risk people are being prioritized. Local media reported deals with Pfizer and Moderna to purchase several million more doses by the beginning of 2021, which will be critical if the launch is to keep pace.
How did Israel carry out the world’s fastest vaccination campaign?
Israel has some natural advantages, being a relatively small country, both in terms of geography and population.
Still, many other countries share these characteristics. Israel’s initial success is also being attributed to its health system, which predates the creation of the state and is now highly digitized. All people over 18 are required to register with government-linked insurance agencies, and army doctors have been called in to help.
At the same time, the government launched a vigorous campaign against antivax misinformation. The Ministry of Justice has successfully requested Facebook to remove four groups that have published “content designed to deceive about coronavirus vaccines”.
Citizens are also being encouraged to receive the injection by officials who have suggested a “green passport”, a document that would allow vaccinated people to eat in restaurants, travel freely and be exempt from quarantine. However, as there is no evidence that vaccines reduce transmission, the idea was met with skepticism.
Is there a political dimension to the launch?
Yes, a huge one. Netanyahu is expected to fight a competitive national election on March 23, giving the prime minister a great incentive to bring Israel back to some form of normalcy in the next three months – and then claim credit for it.
Earlier this month, after Pfizer released positive preliminary results, Netanyahu said he had been working “nonstop” to close a deal, including calls to the company’s CEO at 2 am.
Many Israelis have been disappointed by their government’s response to the crisis so far. The country is under a third national punitive blockade, on charges that the authorities have wasted 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 vaccination campaign, leading to accusations that the country is avoiding moral, humanitarian and legal obligations.
Although Israeli settlers living in the depths of the West Bank are already being vaccinated, the Palestinians around them may have to wait months.
Palestinian authorities hope to get some shots through a WHO-led partnership called COVAX. Still, Gerald Rockenschaub, head of the WHO Jerusalem office, said it could be “in the early mid-2021” before the vaccines are available for distribution in the Palestinian territories.
Israeli officials have suggested that they can supply surplus vaccines to Palestinians, and the Palestinian Authority has not officially asked for help.
Gisha, an Israeli human rights group, said that cooperation between the Palestinian authorities and the international community “does not exempt Israel from its ultimate responsibility to the Palestinians under occupation”.
The disparity not only represents a glaring microcosm of what is happening globally – with the richest and most powerful countries first being vaccinated – but it can also affect Israel’s ability to escape the pandemic.
Thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank work in Israeli and Jewish settlements, potentially slowing the country’s path towards the goal of collective immunity.
Is any other country also making rapid progress?
Bahrain, a Gulf country with a population of about 1.5 million, is in second place, with 3% of its population having received an injection. Other small and wealthy states in the region, like Kuwait, may soon reach Israel.