With the vast majority of Israelis aged 16 and over already vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19, major vaccination centers in major cities across the country have begun to close as the focus shifts to smaller mobile stations in smaller communities.
More than 5.1 million of Israel’s 9.3 million population received at least one dose of vaccine, and more than 4.5 million received both vaccines.
With at least 3 million other people unable to be vaccinated because they are under the age of 16, the rate of vaccination has slowed dramatically, since those who want to be vaccinated for the most part have already done so.
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A huge vaccination center on Rabin Square in Tel Aviv has been torn down, with works on a light train planned to start there next month, the Globes newspaper reported.
Israelis sit near a vaccination center on Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, December 31, 2020 (Miriam ALster / Flash90)
The huge complex of tents run by the municipality, along with the city’s Ichilov hospital, was used by health professionals Maccabi and Meuhedet to vaccinate thousands of residents.
Another major stadium center in northern Tel Aviv is also being closed, as sporting events are slowly returning.
It was not immediately clear what would be done with the large vaccination centers in Jerusalem.
Health care providers are now going to give vaccines at some of their existing clinics.
People receive injections of COVID-19 vaccine at a Magen David mobile station at the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem on February 22, 2021. (Olivier Fitoussi / Flash90)
In addition, health care providers and the Magen David Adom ambulance service shifted their focus to small mobile vaccination centers in different places every day, with a focus on communities where immunization rates are relatively low, especially in predominantly Arab locations.
Those who recovered from COVID-19 at least three months ago can also receive a (single) dose of vaccine.
Authorities said vaccinations for children under the age of 16 could start in the summer, if tests show that the vaccines are safe for them.
