As America struggles to deliver vaccine doses due to logistical bottlenecks and supply shortages, Israel’s vaccine launch shows signs of dramatic success.
Just over four months ago, Israel’s COVID-19 explosion was one of the worst on the planet and the country went into strict closure. The Israeli government then reached an agreement with Pfizer-BioNTech to get enough doses to inoculate all Israeli adults by the end of March.
Two months later, the data is as promising as scientists predicted. In a study of 1.2 million people, the 600,000 who received the vaccine were 94% less likely to have symptomatic infections.
Professor Gili Regev-Yochay, director of the Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Unit at Sheba Medical Center, said supplies are stable and the program is working.
“It’s amazing,” he said, adding, “And now the levels are going down, the age at which people can already be vaccinated.”
A few days ago, the blockade of Israel was relieved. It is a welcome new reality for the nation and for us, a possible vision for the future.
There is also more hope for other countries, as the global vaccination effort is slowly growing beyond the rich and developed world. Syrian refugees are now being shot and the first shipments have just arrived in Zimbabwe.
© 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved.