Israel Starts Pfizer Vaccination... "2 Million People to Be Vaccinated by End of Next Month"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Following the United Kingdom and the United States, Israel has officially begun administering Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine. The Israeli government announced plans to vaccinate 2 million people by the end of next month. With a total population of 9 million, Israel aims to complete vaccinations at a rapid pace.

According to local media such as The Times of Israel on the 20th (local time), the Israeli government started large-scale vaccinations of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine on that day, prioritizing healthcare workers including doctors. People considered at high risk for COVID-19, such as those aged 60 and above, are scheduled to receive the vaccine starting from the 21st. The Israeli government expects to vaccinate about 60,000 people daily, reaching a total of 2 million by the end of January next year. The plan is to vaccinate more than 20% of Israel's population of approximately 9 million by next month.

Israeli leaders are encouraging the public to get vaccinated by receiving the COVID-19 vaccine themselves first. Benjamin Netanyahu, who was the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Israel the previous day, stated, "I requested to be vaccinated first to encourage others to get vaccinated." Finance Minister Katz, President Reuven Rivlin, and Defense Minister Benny Gantz also plan to receive the vaccine on the same day. According to Israeli health authorities, as of that day, the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Israel reached 373,368, with a total of 3,074 deaths.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.