The United States government’s leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, on Thursday characterized the Israeli vaccine distribution effort as a “model for the rest of the world”.
“I use Israel as an example of what can happen when you effectively vaccinate a substantial proportion of people,” said the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in a telephone interview with The Times of Israel.
As of Thursday, almost 4.2 million Israelis have received the first dose of the vaccine and 2.8 million have received both vaccines. About 3 million Israelis are not eligible for vaccination, including minors under 16 and people who have recovered from COVID-19, among others.
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Noting the difference between Israel and the United States, which is slowly increasing its vaccination effort after slowly leaving the gate at the end of last year, Fauci said the Jewish state has the advantage of being a much smaller country.
“But you are very well organized and your ability to put the vaccine in people’s arms … is very admirable,” he said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Health Minister Yuli Edelstein seen during a visit to the COVID-19 vaccination center in Zarzir, northern Israel, February 9, 2021. (David Cohen / Flash90)
Asked whether success could be credited to Israel’s socialized health system and the Health Management Organizations (HMOs) that handled the distribution of vaccines, Fauci said: “Certainly, because it is uniform.”
“You don’t have to change whether you are in Tel Aviv, Haifa or the Negev. It’s all the same, ”he explained during his first interview with an Israeli media outlet.
Fauci deplored the situation in the United States, where the distribution of the vaccine varies by state. He acknowledged the importance of giving states independence to maneuver, “but when you’re dealing with a common enemy … it’s much better if you do things with a strategic plan and … [there are] common denominators of success. ”
The chief medical officer noted that the recent steps taken by the Biden administration to establish community vaccine centers and mobile units, in addition to streamlining the delivery of vaccines to pharmacies, have helped the United States get back on track.
Praising Israel’s vaccination campaign earlier this week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Channel 12 that if the 570,000 unvaccinated Israelis over 50 years of age receive their vaccines, “we will end COVID.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, overhears President Joe Biden speaking during a visit to the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on February 11, 2021, in Bethesda, Maryland. (AP Photo / Evan Vucci)
Asked to comment on the statement, Fauci was more cautious. “You better watch out,” he said.
“I think it will be a tremendous advantage to vaccinate these people and then you will be in good shape. But unless the entire world essentially has access to and is vaccinated, there is always the threat that a variant will come and prevent protection from the vaccine, ”added the US health official, noting that vaccines were effective against the variants that have penetrated Israel until now.
Vaccines distributed in Israel have been effective against variants that have penetrated the country, he noted, but clarified that the additional variants “may weaken the protection that you have all established”.
Pressed if he thought Israel should help vaccinate Palestinian neighbors, who were unable to vaccinate at the same rates, Fauci replied carefully: “You are asking me a political question and I don’t want to go there. It just causes me problems. “
Returning to Netanyahu’s assurances, the chief medical expert said: “I have no problem declaring victory, as long as you keep your army intact.”
He agreed that as soon as a sufficient number of Israelis were vaccinated, the government could reduce restrictions on collection. “If it looks like you are well protected, you can – depending on the situation on the ground – modify and remove some of the restrictions.
An Israeli man receives a vaccine at a Meuhedet COVID-19 vaccination center in Kfar Chabad on 16 February 2021. (Flash90)
Asked whether the loosening of restrictions extends to Israel’s skies, Fauci said he was not familiar enough with the situation in the Jewish state to make such a calculation.
As for other strategies to contain the pandemic, Fauci said that the blockages are “the most effective and quickest, but said that they should remain temporary.
“If you brake long enough, it can really destroy the economy and morale,” he said.
Israel is gradually emerging from its third national closure since the pandemic began and is a world leader in the number of days under confinement (139), according to the Oxford Coronavirus Government Response Tracker.
But on the vaccination effort in Israel, Fauci noted that there was much to celebrate. “The success of what they have implemented is a model for the rest of the world.”
Earlier this week, it was announced that Fauci won Israel’s prestigious Dan David Award in 2021 for a life of leadership in HIV research and AIDS relief, as well as his defense of COVID-19 vaccines.
“This is a very prestigious international award, one of the most important medical awards in the world,” he said Thursday. “I am deeply honored and really very humble for that.”
Asked what he plans to do with the $ 1 million cash prize, Fauci said he is authorized to donate $ 100,000 to a fellowship of his choice.
Besides, he didn’t have time to think about it too much. “I’ve been a little busy,” he cracked.
