While Australia has yet to begin vaccinations against covid-19, Israel began its vaccination program back in December 2020 and now leads the world in vaccination numbers, with over 20% of the population having received two doses of the Pfizer jab. There is now early but credible evidence that vaccinations are having an effect on case numbers and hospitalisations.
How did the tiny middle eastern nation get such a jump start on the rest of the world? The answer partly lies in a special deal struck with Pfizer/BioNTech negotiated personally by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and partly in the country’s 24 hour a day rollout plan, underpinned by a highly digitised healthcare system.
Listen to the interview with Professor Cyrille Cohen, professor of immunology and immunotherapy at Bar-Ilan University, on Sunday Extra with Julian Morrow.