The media is abuzz these days with headlines such as "How Israel Became a World Leader in Vaccinating Against Covid-19." While the U.S. has so - Ariel Gold for Antiwar.com Original
File Photo: Medical professional holds a vial of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in December 2020. (Photo: Lisa Ferdinando/Wikimedia)
The media is abuzz these days with headlines such as “How Israel Became a World Leader in Vaccinating Against Covid-19.” While the U.S. has so far vaccinated only 1.3% of its population against COVID-19, Israel has already given the vaccine to over 14% of its citizens. In explaining this, the media cites Israel’s socialized medicine, the fact that the country is small but wealthy (allowing Israel to pay $62 a dose, compared to the $19.50 the U.S. is paying), and the heavily digitized nature of Israel’s health care system. But below the headlines celebrating Israel’s vaccination rates lies a far darker story about health inequality.