Abstract
The intricate balance between preserving individual rights and securing public health has generated discords in Israeli society throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, from mask requirement via social distancing to recent mass vaccination. It is expected to resurge if Israel reimposes restrictions on unvaccinated citizens. Here we focus on how the Israeli experience presents novel information and novel ways forward regarding the on-going negotiation of vaccination hesitancy (VH). 5.12 million Israelis (out of 9.3 million) have been fully vaccinated as of May 26, 2021 [1]. Beginning its national inoculation drive in late December 2020 with people aged >60, by February 2021 the Israeli Ministry of Health (MoH) has called upon everybody aged over 16 to get their shot. Factors contributing to this successful rollout are high uptake, the small size of the country, efficient and universal community-based public health care services, and Israel's experience with emergency situations. In addition, Israel's prime minister has made the vaccination drive a centerpiece of his bid for reelection in March 2021, personally negotiating deals and securing ample delivery of vaccination doses. Israel’s inoculation drive has received praise compared with the slower and “piecemeal” way vaccines are being delivered in the U.S. and Europe.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 4027-4028 |
| Number of pages | 2 |
| Journal | Vaccine |
| Volume | 39 |
| Issue number | 30 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 5 Jul 2021 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Molecular Medicine
- General Immunology and Microbiology
- General Veterinary
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Infectious Diseases