Israeli officials said the country had immunized 7 percent of its population against COVID-19 – nearly 647,000 people, more than any other country – according to the national health ministry.
The Israeli Ministry of Health welcomed the efforts to launch the vaccines after immunizing more people in the first nine days of distribution than any other country, CNBC reported.
“We are ahead of the world in bringing and administering vaccines. Israel is the world champion in vaccines, in first place by far, “said the Israeli prime minister Benjamin netanyahu
Benjamin (Bibi) NetanyahuMORE said.
Professor of Medicine and Surgery at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Services, Jonathon Reiner, told CNN on Thursday, Israel’s successful distribution process could serve as a model for other countries that want a more efficient launch.
“Israel rules the world. They vaccinate 15 times faster per capita than the United States, “said Reiner, adding:” They have already vaccinated 20% of their population over the age of 60. It would be as if we had already vaccinated about 15 million Americans over the age of 60. “
US officials have acknowledged the disappointment of a slower-than-expected launch of vaccines in the United States. About 2 million people have received at least one vaccine that needs two doses to be effective. Initially, the hope was to vaccinate 20 million people by the end of the year.
Although the figure of 2 million is expected to reflect some delayed reports by states, US officials said they do not expect to reach 20 million.
Although Israel’s population is just over the size of New Jersey, part of the country’s successful launch is due in part to its centralized health care system, according to Eran Segal, a computer biologist at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel.
“As someone who has lived in the United States for about a decade, I know that it is much more widespread in the United States. There are probably thousands of organizations, “Segal told CNBC.