Israel is reopening. Requirements: green vaccine passes

Israel is the country in the world that has vaccinated the majority of its inhabitants. While Norway has fully vaccinated less than five percent of the population, Israel can boast of having fully vaccinated 93 percent of its citizens over 50, according to David Mossinson, chief physician at the Meuhedet health company and head of the health services of 1.3 million Israelis. Including corona vaccination.

– We are very happy with the vaccination process, and we hope and believe that we are on our way back to normal life. I can hardly believe it myself, says Mossinson.

Requires vaccination pass

The chief physician begins by listing the degree of vaccination:

• 93 percent of those over 50 are fully vaccinated.
• 83 percent of the population over 16 years of age have also received both doses.
• Vaccination of children under 16 years of age is being investigated.

– They are fantastic numbers. It is not yet allowed to vaccinate children under the age of 16, but we are ready to vaccinate them as soon as possible, Mossinson says.

He is anxious. At full speed, he says Israel just over two weeks ago began reopening the country. A week after Israelis have been vaccinated twice, they receive a so-called green vaccine passport.

– Then you can check in hotels, you can go to restaurants, pubs, concerts and weddings. Yesterday our national soccer team also played a World Cup qualifying match against Denmark in Tel Aviv, with 5,000 people present. Everyone with a vaccination passport, of course, he says.

Attract opponents to vaccines

Like the rest of the world, Israel has had football matches without spectators in the last year. The opportunity to rewatch the games from the stands has led to more people getting vaccinated.

– There are also opponents of vaccines in Israel. Due to the fact that vaccination passes are now required to enter football stadiums, gyms and the like, we see that more people come to get vaccinated. The green passport will be an incentive to get vaccinated, Mossinson says.

Her son was one of those who was queuing to get a full vaccination.

– On Sunday, Israel will play a new qualifying match, against Scotland. My son was recently vaccinated and has now received a ticket to that game, Mossinson says.

In Israel, it is especially the ultra-Orthodox and Israeli Arabs who are the great opponents of vaccines.

– Being able to go back to restaurants and other places also causes skeptics to get vaccinated. Vaccine passes will be a great motivation, says the chief physician.

Lures with vaccine for pizza and pub

– Annual corona vaccine?

The vaccination of the inhabitants gives results. Despite the fact that Israeli society has become more and more open in recent weeks, the number of new corona infections is decreasing.

– We see a decline day by day. We used to have many thousands of new infected daily, while in the last week we have dropped to around 800. So we went from thousands to hundreds, Mossinson says, adding:

– We hope it continues like this in the coming weeks. May we return to normal life again.

But there are many unknown factors, also in Israel. How long will the vaccines work? What if there are new mutated covid-19 viruses that vaccines don’t take?

– Nobody has enough knowledge to say something definitive. There are many things we do not know yet, but we hope that the vaccines will last at least a year. Then we will see. We hope it’s like the flu shot, where you have to take a bite every year. To get back your life and your normal life, it’s worth it, says Mossinson.

Ready for celebration

On the Friday before Easter, Israelis begin their holiest celebration, reminiscent of the Norwegian Christmas celebration. Then they begin “Passover,” which is a memorial service for Jews who are no longer slaves in Egypt.

– Last year we were locked inside and no one could visit. Now we can reunite entire families. Up to 20 people in households, and company of 50 people if you have an organizer, says Mossinson.

People now organize weddings and birthdays too. Museums, gyms and shopping centers have reopened. Well, and warning for those with vaccine passports. People must register in advance.

– Now people go out to celebrate, and we cross our fingers so that this lasts forever, says the doctor.

Follow-up closely

At the same time, it is not a complete celebration for Mossinson and his people.

– This virus has given us so many surprises, so we have to be very careful and reopen society little by little, says Mossinson.

– But what about people who have not received, or want, a vaccine? What about foreigners studying in Israel who are not Israeli citizens? Have you not received a vaccination passport yet? Dagbladet wonders.

– Five percent of the guests at various events may be people without vaccination passes, including children. This also applies to people who do not want or tolerate the vaccine, Mossinson says, adding:

– But they must show a negative corona test. It should be taken 72 hours before the event, he says.

– Has side effects

In Israel, all citizens receive the Pfizer vaccine. What Israel has paid to access so many doses remains a secret.

– But what we can say is that we have not experienced any serious side effects from the vaccine, so now we have high hopes that the rest of the world will follow, he says.

No access

Avisa Haaretz has a report on foreign diplomats, asylum seekers, the approximately 20,000 foreign students and more living in Israel. None of them have had access to vaccine passports.

– First, I want to say that no one from abroad can come to Israel now. Only those who live here permanently receive vaccine passports, because these are issued by the health service, says Lior Haiat, spokesman for Israel’s Foreign Ministry.

He adds:

– It is always possible to criticize ourselves and everyone else. Israel is in the initial phase, and the first in the world, of initiating a reopening of the society after a successful vaccination campaign. Green passports are only a few weeks old, so I think it’s a bit early to criticize us for not including everyone. 99.99 percent of the population that has been vaccinated can now do things they dreamed of doing a few months ago, say and continue:

– Here you have to see everything we have achieved. Adjustments are needed and work is being done, but I don’t think there is more criticism at this point. The only thing left to open here now are the cinemas. They reopen after Easter, he says.