COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Israel: Successes, lessons, and caveats
Israel is a global leader in the competition to roll out the COVID-19 vaccine. In this Special Characteristic, Medical News Today search at why the vaccine rollout features been so successful in Israel and discuss the controversies and collateral issues related to the campaign.
While the USA has struggled to meet up COVID-19 vaccine rollout goals, within just 2 weeks, Israel vaccinated almost 15% of the country’s population greater than 9 million.
By January 19, 2021, 25.6% of the Israeli population have obtained their first vaccine dose, and 550,000 persons have obtained both doses.
To give some people perspective, Israel is vaccinating people for a price of 32.4 people per 100, compared with 4.8 persons per 100 in the U.S., and 7 per 100 in britain.
But why exactly has the rollout been hence successful found in Israel? And what can we learn from this early victory? In this Special Feature, we analysis what’s known about Israel’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
Early rollout successes
Israel’s success in rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine appears to be because of several factors influencing the usage of and distribution of the vaccine.
The Israeli government started searching early on for a way to secure vaccine doses.
In June 2020, Israel became one of the primary countries to signal a buy agreement for a vaccine supply from Moderna. In November, the country announced additional vaccine handles AstraZeneca and Pfizer.
The first Pfizer vaccine doses found its way to Israel on December 9, 2020, and vaccinations commenced on December 19, 2020. The country is still waiting for the additional two vaccines.
Israel’s government also allegedly decided to pay top dollar for vaccines and buy millions of doses. Although the exact price is unfamiliar, one official explained that the price was about $30 per vaccine - dual the average price abroad.
The makers of the vaccine that Israel happens to be using - U.S. provider Pfizer and German spouse BioNTech - wouldn't normally comment on the expense of the vaccine.
In exchange for an early on, stable vaccine supply, the Israeli government as well assured Pfizer that the country’s rollout would offer rapid, large-scale benefits, promising to give the company detailed patient information on those getting the vaccine in Israel.
Israeli officials anticipated Israel’s vaccine rollout to reach your goals because the country is tiny but has a great healthcare infrastructure. The country also offers a well-developed, universal health care program that connects all people to a national digital health network.
All residents also have insurance from semi-individual healthcare maintenance organizations (HMOs) that run services throughout the country, even on rural, remote regions.
Israel’s centralized, digitized system makes it much easier to track and access information and roll out countrywide healthcare agendas, such as for example vaccination campaigns.
“In a way, Israel has become such as a large clinical trial,” Hadassah INFIRMARY virologist Dr. Rivka Abulafia-Lapid told THE DAYS of Israel.
“Because everyone in Israel belongs to an HMO, and their data are kept with their background data, this implies we’ll get a good photo of responsiveness to the vaccine, in context old, gender, and existing medical ailments,” Dr. Abulafia-Lapid added.
Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com
