Israel is the country in the world that has vaccinated most of its inhabitants. While Norway has fully vaccinated less than five percent of the population, Israel can boast of having fully vaccinated 93 percent of its citizens over the age of 50, according to David Mossinson, chief physician at the health authority Meuhedet and responsible for the health services of 1.3 million Israelis. Including the corona vaccination.
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– We are very happy with the vaccination process, and hope and believe that we are on our way back to normal life. I can hardly believe it myself, says Mossinson.
Requires vaccine pass
The chief physician starts by listing the degree of vaccination:
- 93 percent of all over 50 are fully vaccinated.
- 83 percent of the population over the age of 16 have also received both doses.
- Vaccination of children under 16 is being researched.
– These are fantastic numbers. It is not yet allowed to vaccinate children under the age of 16, but we are ready to vaccinate them as soon as possible, says Mossinson.
He is eager. At full speed, he says that Israel has for just over two weeks started reopening the country. One week after the Israelis have been vaccinated twice, they receive a so-called green vaccine passport.
– Then you can check into hotels, you can go to restaurants, pubs, concerts and weddings. Yesterday, our national football team also played a World Cup qualifier against Denmark in Tel Aviv, with 5,000 people present. Everyone with a vaccine passport, of course, he says.
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Entices vaccine opponents
Just like the rest of the world, Israel has had football matches without spectators in the last year. The opportunity to watch matches from the stands again has led more people to get vaccinated.
– There are vaccine opponents in Israel as well. By the fact that vaccine passes are now required to enter football stadiums, gyms and the like, we see that more people are coming to get vaccinated. The green passport will be an incentive to get vaccinated, says Mossinson.
His son was one of those queuing to be fully vaccinated.
– On Sunday, Israel will play a new qualifying match, against Scotland. My son was recently vaccinated, and has now received a ticket to that match, says Mossinson.
In Israel, it is especially the ultra-Orthodox and the Israeli Arabs who have been big vaccine opponents.
– Being able to go to restaurants and other places again also makes skeptics get vaccinated. The vaccine passes will be a great motivation, says the chief doctor.
Lures with pizza and pub vaccine
– Annual corona vaccine?
The vaccination of the inhabitants gives results. Despite the fact that Israeli society has opened up more and more in the last couple of weeks, the number of new corona infections is declining.
– We see a decline from day to day. We used to have many thousands of new infected daily, while in the last week we have gone down to around 800. So we go from thousands to hundreds, says Mossinson, and adds:
– We hope that it will continue like this in the coming weeks. That we get back to normal life again.
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But there are many unknown factors, also in Israel. How long will the vaccines work? What if there are new mutated covid-19 viruses that the vaccines do not take?
– No one has enough knowledge to say anything definitive. There is a lot we do not yet know, but we hope that the vaccines will last for at least one year. Then we’ll see. We hope it will be like the flu vaccine, where you have to take a bite every year. To get your life back and normal life back, it’s very worth it, says Mossinson.
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Ready for celebration
On Friday before Easter, the Israelis start their holiest celebration, which is reminiscent of the Norwegian Christmas celebration. Then they start the “Passover”, which is a memorial service for the Jews no longer being slaves in Egypt.
– Last year we were locked inside, and no one was allowed to visit each other. Now we can gather whole families. Up to 20 people in the homes – and company of 50 people if you have an organizer, says Mossinson.
People now also arrange weddings and birthdays. Museums, gyms and shopping centers have reopened. Well and notice for those with vaccine passports. People must register in advance.
– People now go out and celebrate, and we cross our fingers that this will last forever, says the doctor.
Soccer Football – World Cup Qualifiers Europe – Group F – Israel v Denmark – Bloomfield Stadium, Tel Aviv, Israel – March 25, 2021 Israel fans inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
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Follow closely
At the same time, it is not a full celebration for Mossinson and his people.
– This virus has given us so many surprises, so we have to be very careful and reopen society slowly, Mossinson says.
– But what about people who have not received – or want – a vaccine? And what about foreigners who study in Israel and who are not Israeli citizens? They have not yet received a vaccine passport? Dagbladet wonders.
– Five percent of the guests at various events can be people without vaccine passes, including children. This also applies to people who do not want the vaccine, or who do not tolerate it, says Mossinson, and adds:
– But they must show a negative corona test. It must be taken 72 hours before the event, he says.
– Get side effects
In Israel, all citizens receive the Pfizer vaccine. What Israel has paid to access so many doses is still a secret.
– But what we can say is that we have not experienced any serious side effects with the vaccine, so now we very much hope that the rest of the world will follow, he says.
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Without access
Notify Haaretz has a report about the foreign diplomats, asylum seekers, the around 20,000 foreign students and more, who live in Israel. None of these have had access to vaccine passports.
– First I want to say that no one from abroad is allowed to come to Israel now. Only those who live here permanently receive vaccine passports, because these are issued by the health service, says Lior Haiat, spokesman for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He adds:
– It is always possible to criticize us – and everyone else. Israel is in the very beginning phase, and first in the world, of starting a reopening of society after a successful vaccination campaign. The green passports are only a few weeks old, so I think it’s a little early to criticize us for not including everyone. 99.99 percent of the population that has been vaccinated can now do things they dreamed of doing a few months back, he says and continues:
– Here you have to see everything we have achieved. Adjustments are needed and are being worked on, but I do not think more criticism is right now. The only thing left to open here now are cinemas. They reopen after Easter, he says.
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