Covid-19 in Israel: an express vaccination campaign threatened by a shortage of stocks

Israelis wait their turn to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in a hospital in Beer-Sheva on December 29, 2020. AP - Tsafrir Abayov

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2 min

With more than a million vaccinations in less than two weeks thanks to the efficiency of its system of dispensaries affiliated with health insurance funds, Israel leads the world.

The Israelis rushed even on Shabbat to get vaccinated. 

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With our correspondent in Jerusalem,

Michel Paul

Almost 45% of those over 60 in Israel received

the first dose of the vaccine

and are expected to receive the booster by the end of January.

But by the middle of this week, there will not be enough stocks to vaccinate the rest of the population.

Israeli leaders are redoubling their efforts with the companies to obtain new doses.

But in the meantime, the number of new contaminations is on the rise.

A new record for this third wave was broken this weekend with over 6,000 new cases.

Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu wants to bring the cabinet together to push through a series

of tougher containment measures

, including the closure of all schools.

But he risks encountering strong opposition even within his own government, especially from Benny Gantz, the leader of the Blue White party who, in the midst of a political crisis, intends to play his last trumps.

► See also: One million Israelis have already received a dose of vaccine against Covid-19 

It is therefore a real race against time which is engaged.

The vaccination campaign on one side, and on the other the Covid-19 which continues to gain ground.

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  • Israel

  • Coronavirus

  • Health and medicine