Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the first to receive the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine today, kicking off a nationwide vaccination campaign in the coming days.
Netanyahu, 71, and health Minister Yuli Edelstein were the first to administer the Pfizer & BNT vaccine at the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, where the vaccination was televised live. I asked to take the lead with Health Minister Edelstein to set an example and encourage people to get vaccinated,” Nityahu told television viewers.
Pfizer & BNT must be administered in two doses, three weeks apart, to obtain the best protection against the new coronavirus.
The latest notification from the Israeli Ministry of Health shows that a total of 372,401 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and only 3,070 have died of the disease. Israel’s population is about 9 million.
The Ministry of Health issued a statement saying that 10 hospitals and vaccination centers in Israel will start administering the vaccine to medical staff from the 20th. During the week, the vaccination will be extended to the general public, with the elderly over 60 years of age starting the vaccination.
Israel has ordered 8 million doses of the vaccine from U.S.-based Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech, with the first shipment arriving in Israel 10 days ago.
Israel has also contracted to purchase 6 million doses of the vaccine from U.S. biotech company Moderna, with delivery expected in 2021, making a total of 14 million doses available for domestic use.
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