Hundreds of thousands of doses of coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer Pharmaceuticals will arrive in Israel next month, assuming regulators clear the substance for use, according to a report broadcast by Israel’s Channel 12 news team.
The Jewish State is set to receive between 200,000 and 500,000 doses of the vaccine, which means there will be enough for between 100,000 and 250,000 Israelis. Israel purchased eight million doses of the Pfizer vaccine — enough for four million Israelis — at a cost of $237.5 million.
Israel reportedly paid Pfizer a $35 million advance late last week, and is expected to transfer almost $202 million more in January.
Medical personnel will be the first to receive the inoculation. Nevertheless, a Health Ministry official told Channel 12, “The early arrival of such a large batch of vaccines will have a positive effect on the fight against the pandemic this coming winter.”
Israel’s Health Ministry has also reached understandings with AstraZeneca for the purchase of some ten million doses of that pharmaceutical company’s coronavirus vaccine. According to the agreement, AstraZeneca will provide Israel with approximately ten million doses of its coronavirus vaccine (AZD1222) for five million people.
The vaccine is being sold to Israel according to a non-profit model during the pandemic period. The agreement includes the supply of the largest quantity of vaccines that will come to Israel.
Israel has also purchased potential vaccine from the Moderna Pharmaceuticals firm, although their inoculation is not yet available either. In addition, Israel’s domestically-produced vaccine, “Brilife” is expected to be ready by next summer, according to the scientists involved in the production at the Israel Institute for Biological Research, under the Ministry of Defense.