Vaccination Under Occupation
ON DECEMBER 19TH, Israel launched its ambitious Covid-19 inoculation program. In the weeks since, the country’s healthcare workers have already vaccinated over 1.9 million citizens, or 22% of its population, with the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, taking the lead as top per capita vaccinator in the world. Over 70% of people aged 60 and older have already received the first shot, according to Health Minister Yuli Edelstein. Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his government’s intention to inoculate all Israeli citizens over the age of 16 by the end of March—a goal that, if met, would also likely make Israel the first country to vaccinate its entire population.