Vials of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are pictured in a vaccination centre in Geneva, Switzerland, on Feb 3, 2021. JERUSALEM: A bid to secure more Pfizer-BioNTech doses for Israel's world-beating vaccination drive has become mired in political squabbles, just as its leaders saw the coveted prize of"herd immunity" as within reach.
This has led to finger-pointing among the country's political leadership, as Netanyahu tries to put together a ruling coalition following Israel's fourth election in two years.Particularly sensitive is the fact that some of the stalled doses are earmarked for children. In addition to Pfizer, Israel has secured millions more doses from Moderna and has reached an understanding with AstraZeneca over vaccine supplies.With more than half the 9.3 million population fully inoculated, Israel's economy is largely open and COVID-19 cases are falling. But so is the vaccination turnout rate.
But the lower the age group, the lower the turnout. It ranges from 74 per cent among 20 to 29-year-olds taking at least one jab to 56 per cent of 16 to 19-year-olds, according to health ministry data. Concerned that global"vaccine nationalism" could squeeze Israel out of future doses, the health ministry also wants the additional doses in place, should people need booster shots to stay protected.
How about Moderna vaccines?
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