How Israel Became a World Leader in Vaccination

{Reposted from the MEF website}

On a cold night three days before the end of the 2020 I drove down to Jerusalem's Pais Arena. The area is usually a sports venue, next to Jerusalem's stadium and mall, but in December it was transformed into a centre for mass vaccinations, open from morning till ten in the evening. By the first day of 2021 Israel had vaccinated more than 1 million people in two weeks, the world's highest number per capita, making the country a global leader in vaccinating against Covid-19. I was one of those who received the first jab of the Pfizer vaccine. ...

Israel's unique approach has been to use a national security apparatus that is usually used to confront terrorists to fight against the virus. This was only possible because of a solidarity among Israelis. This wasn't always the case – some communities continued to hold weddings and funerals in breach of the guidelines and some officials violated the rules by inviting family members for holidays – but in general Israel was able to mobilise nationally against Covid because it has a citizen's army and national security ethos that is used to fighting wars. Israel's 'home front command' for instance often carries out drills to deal with earthquakes and national disasters, and has been tasked with distributing gas masks in past wars.

Israel's government gambled on acquiring masses of vaccines to try to right the ship in the fall of 2020. It acquired 8 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine in November, with some 4 million doses arriving in early December. Israel also scrambled to acquire Moderna's vaccine, purchasing 6 million doses in December. Israel's population is just under 9 million. After the Pfizer vaccine was approved in line with the US in mid-December, the rollout of the vaccine began on December 20, two weeks after the UK kicked off its own vaccine programme. The Israeli health authorities set a goal of 150,000 vaccinations a day, beginning with those over 60 years old, as well as soldiers, police and medical staff.

When mass vaccinations began people received text messages to go to their health insurance provider to get vaccinated. Israel has several large state-mandated semi-private healthcare providers and every citizen is registered with one of them. Even foreigners without health providers have been able to get vaccinated at the mass vaccination points in some cases. At the Arena in Jerusalem two of the providers, Clalit and Maccabi, set up mass vaccination centres. Those arriving, like I did in late December, queued to see if we could enter. Those under 60 were told that if there were leftover vaccines at the end of the day they would be let in. This is because Pfizer's vaccine needs to be at minus 70 degrees Celsius and extra doses would otherwise be disposed of. Standing in the long, cavernous halls that circle the arena I waited to receive the vaccine. One by one we were let in, like being on standby for a flight. A short walk took me to a series of divided stations where medical staff logged my name and jabbed me with a shot. They said 'wait 15 minutes and register for your second dose.' If all goes as planned I'll be back in late January.