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Israel hits 2 million vaccinated against COVID-19
A medical professional prepares to administer the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to a couple and their healthcare aide at a makeshift vaccination centre in a sports arena in Jerusalem, Jan 14, 2021. (Photo: AP/Maya Alleruzzo)
15 Jan 2021 10:00AM (Updated:
15 Jan 2021 10:10AM) Share this content
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JERUSALEM: The number of people inoculated in Israel for coronavirus passed the 2 million threshold on Thursday (Jan 14), with the prime minister saying there was light at the end of the tunnel .
Israel will become the first country to emerge from the corona crisis , Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boasted.
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Some 2 million vaccines have been administered throught the country since the vaccine drive began in late December.
Ohana, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, has refused to allow the prison service to vaccinate those prisoners who are eligible according to official Health Ministry directives. But following objections by the public and the High Court of Justice, Ohana began negotiating with Health Ministry officials this week to obtain thousands of doses to vaccinate prisoners and wardens.
More than 150 prisoners and 160 wardens have contracted coronavirus in several different jails over the past few days – the biggest outbreak among prisoners since the pandemic broke out.
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Israel has denied Palestinians access to the vaccine after it rebuffed a World Health Organisation (WHO) vaccine request last week for the Palestinian health workforce as an immediate priority target group, citing shortages at home. Palestinians were deprived of the vaccine as Israel prioritised only Israeli settlers.
While in late December, the Public Security Minister Amir Ohana blatantly instructed prison officials to stop vaccinating Palestinian inmates against Covid-19 until further notice, and to only vaccinate prison staff.
Israel is being hailed at home for breaking the record for the rapid inoculation programme by vaccinating more of its population against Covid-19 than any other country in a very short time, but it only vaccinates Israeli citizens, including Jewish settlers who live in the West Bank, in addition to Palestinians who are residents of East Jerusalem.
Israel To Start Vaccinating Palestinian Prisoners Next Week
Thursday, January 14, 2021
Members of the Palestinian Prisoner Society stage a demonstration outside the International Committee of the Red Cross building, demanding the World Health Organization put pressure on Israeli authorities to vaccinate Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, earlier this month in Gaza City. Mustafa Hassona / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Israel s health minister announced Thursday the country would vaccinate Palestinian prisoners against COVID-19, after Israel s president said withholding vaccines was against Israel s Jewish and democratic values.
Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said the prisoners would be vaccinated early next week, on Monday or Tuesday. The minister informed NPR of the decision before making a public announcement.