the world’s most successful coronavirus vaccination model

The world looks in awe at Israel’s vaccination model. There, the coronavirus vaccine began to be applied just over three weeks ago, and more than 2 million people. This represents nearly 25% of its population.

The plan is ambitious: at the end of March or the beginning of April, they plan to be vaccinated 70% of the population

This numbers far exceed to those that have been registered in most countries. Argentina, for example, today began vaccinating 138,000 people – according to a report by Nomivac (Federal Register of Nominalized Vaccination) – less than 0.4% of its population. This Thursday, the second flight to Moscow took off in search of the 300,000 Sputnik V for the second dose of health personnel who have already received component 1.

Comparing to Israel’s vaccination model doesn’t leave Argentina alone a bad stop, too showed superiority over countries like the United States, Germany. United Kingdom, Italy or Spain, which are between 1% and 5% of the vaccinated population, according to Our World In Data records. Its success with punctures puts a “miracle” filter on Israel in the fight against the pandemic. How did the miracle happen?

Get vaccinated there It is not mandatory and, like that and all, they managed to generate trust in the vaccine (without brand issues) even among ultra-Orthodox and Muslims. But besides the fact that people put their guns, they have the vaccines.

“We won’t be the same after coronavirus. For the best. So begins Asher Salmon, the oncologist who heads the Department of International Relations at Israel’s Ministry of Health. He speaks like someone who is already in remission from an illness. But he always warns that Covid-19 care should not go away.

Israel spoke up after being vaccinated. He did not show the “carry and carry” of negotiations – of which there were many – with pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna (both notable for their absence here) and at a Zoom conference hosted by the based Department of Health. in Jerusalem this Thursday. More than 200 journalists from all over the world were called in to explain everything.

In February, the country encountered the first positive case. Not long before in Argentina, where patient 0 was registered on March 3. Today, they have the highest vaccination rate per capita, with around 2 million vaccinated among their 9.25 million inhabitants. And that they have 4 “short” quarantines to their credit. On January 20 they end up with what, they think, it will be the last.

The key to everything could be defined in that Israel acted in anticipation. Not just to get intensive therapy beds, but to get vaccinations.

“We are preparing since January (from 2020), for everything that was happening in Wuhan (China). We were also one of the first countries to close their borders. In March, we had the first wave, with a quick quarantine that ended in May. In September, the summits rise again, with the reopening of universities, and the second quarantine came out more slowly. And now the fourth lockdown will end in just over a week. But since April we were talking with AstraZeneca (The Oxford vaccine which will be manufactured in part in Argentina). Then we start with Modern and just in November with PfizerBut they saw us well prepared and there was no delay for the arrival of doses, ”says Salmon.

“Immediately, we started to vaccinate the health personnel but also, immediately, the population of 60 and 70 years. This way we are flexible, not only vaccinating some and not others. 90% of health workers are vaccinated and we clearly define the groups at risk, ”he adds.

Israel’s health profile can be summed up in that 11.65% of the population is over 65, the country is considered “young” due to its fertility rate of 3.1 and by law there is. has a universal public health system solid which requires Israeli citizens and temporary residents to purchase health insurance from one of the Big Four public health care providers. In doing so, everyone signs that they authorize the recording of their medical data for life. From vaccination (95% believe in pediatric vaccines) to routine operations and consultations.

This information is what, as they officially explained, will share with Pfizer as what is believed to be the most important condition in the dose negotiations.

Salmon did not want to give details on whether, as is assumed, for this huge one-time database -y the privacy controversy, therefore monitored in other countries – Israel paid less for each dose than, for example, the United States. “We are a small country and we paid what we could pay. I do not think less. In any case, the price of the vaccine is very low compared to the cost of a quarantine”, he confined himself to slide. This mystery in the “miracle” continues.

In this context of a strong and “registered” health system, it was decided to vaccinate “as quickly as possible to reduce lethality and mortality. “First to those who work in public hospitals and to Israeli citizens most at risk of complications.” We are going to vaccinate the Palestinians, of course, but like any country would, our citizens first, “the doctor said.

And while in Argentina, at least for a few hours, the Government considered the possibility of giving a single dose of Sputnik to vaccinate more people, the Israeli strategy was to “adhere to the protocol and assure people vaccinated that they would receive their second dose at 21 days“.

The ultra cold challenge (-70 °) required by the Pfizer vaccine was drawn at centralize in a single point the powerful freezer which contains the doses and distributes them in boxes “like in a pizza delivery system” – compared, due to the shape of the container – which would allow delivery without risk of loss of the cold chain and avoid ” vibrations in transport, so detrimental to vaccine components. ”

Added to this was the technology to store data on where each dose was and what exact time it needed to arrive to be injected to that specific number of people. This gives rise to another key to success mentioned by Salmon: the balance sheet with the effects and risks of vaccination while he is vaccinated.

“People who could not digitally access information on how and where to get vaccinated, he was called by phone from the call center. Others received a message on their cell phone reminding them of their shift. “Another crucial point is that it took a lot more people to give these injections than before.” The training was provided by Zoom. “And it was necessary to ensure that the injections were at the place to load the doses to be injected. All of this was calculated and done in advance. Does Argentina have enough injections?

What is clear is that today’s “miracle” in Israel has nothing to do with an Israeli “jugular free will” precedent. They had four quarantines for nothing. Therefore, the country focused on building confidence in the vaccine among those who did not want to stay at home. And indeed, on January 6, health officials urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to tighten up measures, after the population relaxed in recent weeks, also because of the sense of security that the current vaccination process. .

How was trust built? “The media were very important. We did many campaigns. We had to convince the public that the product is effective and reliable. And not just convince them, show them we had vaccine data. It was not easy for the Orthodox and the Muslims. But they were also vaccinated to a lesser extent. They were convinced through diplomacyThe official said. There is no data on how many people from these religious groups have been vaccinated in Israel.

What happened to the Israeli vaccine, which in February was competing with the United States and China in laboratories? He was very late in the race. “It is in phase 2. It will not be in phase 3 (massive) until the end of summer (our winter)”, he explains.

To date, in the fourth quarantine and with so many people already vaccinated, schools are closed In Israel. Regarding this decision, Salmon clarified that it was because it was firmly determined that “children or those under 16 will not be vaccinated”. Although the situation may change in March or April, when 70% of Israelis are vaccinated and the maximum target is reached: that Israel is the first country to emerge from the pandemic.

DD