JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel has administered two doses of COVID-19 vaccine to more than half its 9.3 million population, its health minister said on Thursday, a rapid roll-out that has helped the country begin emerging from pandemic closures.
Distribution of Pfizer Inc’s vaccine in Israel began in December, with eligibility extended to citizens and residents over 16. People who receive it are deemed fully protected a week after the second shot.
In a statement announcing the milestone amid a sustained drop in new COVID-19 cases, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein called on citizens “to follow (health) guidelines so that the coronavirus does not return”.
Israel counts East Jerusalem Palestinians as part of its population and has been providing them vaccines. It has also offered vaccines to Palestinians who work in Israel and settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Palestinians health officials have launched a limited vaccination programme in the West Bank and Gaza using doses provided by Israel, Russia, the United Arab Emirates and the global COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative.
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