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Almost 10 percent in the country is already vaccinated. However, the crown numbers are increasing rapidly again.
No country is progressing as fast in vaccination as Israel: vaccination center near Tel Aviv.
Photo: Jack Guez (AFP)
Less than two weeks after a record-breaking vaccination campaign began, Israel has vaccinated nearly one million of its citizens. Health Minister Juli Edelstein announced on Friday that around 950,000 Israelis had already received the first dose of the vaccine. That’s more than 10 percent of the population: the country has almost 9.3 million people.
According to the Health Ministry, around 153,400 people were vaccinated in Israel on Thursday alone. More than 40 percent of people over 60 in the country have already received the first dose of the Biontech Pfizer vaccine.
According to information from Oxford researchers, Israel is vaccinated faster than any other country in the world. A chart on the “Our World in Data” website compares different countries based on the number of doses administered per 100 inhabitants. There, with 9.18 cans per 100 inhabitants (as of December 30), Israel was still clearly in the lead, although not in absolute numbers, where the United States, China and Great Britain lead.
At the same time, the number of new corona infections in the country has exploded despite a third partial lockdown. According to the Health Ministry, on Friday the number of new corona cases in 24 hours was 5,804. The day before it was slightly more at 5,831, the highest level since October. Therefore, the Health Ministry is calling for the crown’s restrictions to be tightened as of Sunday.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also given the green light for its use in several countries after Biontech and Pfizer’s corona vaccine was approved. On New Year’s Eve, the preparation received emergency approval, as announced by the WHO in Geneva.
Vaccine production capacity shortage
Biontech boss Ugur Sahin told “Spiegel” that he expected clarity on additional production quantities by the end of January. “We are trying to find new cooperation partners to produce for us. But it is not as if there are specialized unused factories around the world that can produce vaccines of the required quality overnight, ”said the 55-year-old. The WHO called for a fair distribution of the vaccine in all countries of the world.
In general, however, it seems “not rosy” regarding the available vaccines against Covid-19, “because other approved vaccines are lacking and we have to fill this gap with our vaccine,” Biontech head Sahin told “Spiegel “. Therefore, they are working with US partner Pfizer to explore the possibilities of increasing the production of their own preparation. He is surprised that the EU has ordered vaccines from several manufacturers that are still in development. “Many other companies were supposed to come with vaccines. Apparently the impression prevailed: we will have enough, it won’t be so bad, and we have it under control, ”Sahin said.
With the WHO Emergency Use List (EUL), UN organizations can now purchase and distribute the Biontech / Pfizer vaccine. Also, countries that do not have their own capacity for such scientific tests can grant approval in their country based on the preparatory work of the WHO. Like the regulatory authorities in each country, the United Nations organization examines scientific studies on new drugs or vaccines and weighs the risks of their use.
The Biontech / Pfizer vaccine meets all WHO safety and efficacy requirements. “The benefit of a mission to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic outweighs the possible risks,” the WHO said. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended provisional approval for the EU shortly before Christmas, and the EU Commission granted it shortly after.
Astrazeneca vaccine in use
The vaccine from the British-Swedish company Astrazeneca and the University of Oxford is now being used in other countries. In Argentina, the registry of the pharmaceutical authority issued Anmat, according to its own information, a one-year emergency registry for the sale of the prescription drug. El Salvador’s Central American Medicines Agency said it had granted emergency approval to import, distribute and use this vaccine. When the preparation was expected and how many doses they should receive in each case, it was initially unclear for both countries. Russia’s “Sputnik V” vaccine is already being administered in Argentina, and the same applies to Guinea in West Africa.
The EU drug agency EMA is currently examining Astrazeneca’s drug in the so-called continuous review process. Manufacturers will submit data gradually to speed up testing and, if necessary, approval of the vaccine. Unlike Britain, in Europe there is no emergency approval, but a conditional market approval, with all associated safeguards, controls and obligations, the Amsterdam-based EMA announced.
Chinese vaccine
In China, the Sinopharm vaccine received “conditional approval” according to the Beijing announcement. In the future, the durability and protective effect of the vaccine’s immunity will need to be continuously monitored. Sinopharm announced Wednesday that its vaccine should offer more than 79 percent protection against Covid-19 (79.34 percent). This information has been confirmed by the authorities.
In China itself, there are three other companies besides Sinopharm, Anhui Zhifei Longcom, CanSino and Sinovac, which are in the final stages of vaccine development. China had set a goal of being able to bring 600 million cans to market by the end of the year. More recently, state media also spoke of wanting to vaccinate 50 million Chinese in mid-February.
