Less than half of Israelis plan to get vaccinated for COVID-19 – survey

WHO experts have pointed to a 65%-70% vaccine coverage rate as a way to reach population immunity through vaccination.

By ZACHARY KEYSER
Updated: DECEMBER 15, 2020 19:25
A woman holds a small bottle labeled with a "Vaccine COVID-19" sticker and a medical syringe in this illustration taken April 10, 2020. (photo credit: REUTERS)
A woman holds a small bottle labeled with a "Vaccine COVID-19" sticker and a medical syringe in this illustration taken April 10, 2020.
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Less than half of Israelis (44%) intend on getting a COVID-19 vaccine, according to an Israel Hayom survey.
World Health Organization (WHO) experts have pointed to a 65%-70% vaccine coverage rate as a way to reach population immunity through vaccination.
Additionally, just over a third (37%) of the Israeli population made it clear that they will refuse to get vaccinated for the novel coronavirus, which alone would make Israel not reach the WHO's recommendation.
“The idea of herd community is to protect the vulnerable,” said Eleanor Riley, a professor of immunology and infectious disease at the University of Edinburgh. “And the idea behind it is that if, say, 98% of a population have all been vaccinated, there will be so little virus in the community that the 2% will be protected. That’s the point of it.”
Older survey respondents were more likely to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Some 63% over the age of 64 said that they plan on getting the shot, while 20% refuse, according to the report.
The younger the respondents, the less willing they were to inject one of the fast-tracked vaccines into their system. Just under half (49%) of those aged 50-64 intend on getting vaccinated, in the 30-50 age group only 42% – and among 18-30 year-olds, only a third will (34%) with almost half (48%) refusing altogether.
By sector, minority populations of Arab Christians and Arab Muslims (35%), as well as the ultra-Orthodox (26%) intend on getting vaccinated. Secular Jews were "most likely" to get vaccinated with 57% of the population willing, while national religious Jews and "self-defined traditional Jews" both had minority populations in an agreement to get a vaccine.
The Israel Hayom survey results were based on a representative sample of 525 respondents, with research performed by Maagar Mochot.
The Health Ministry, the health funds and Magen David Adom, along with representatives of Israel’s senior living centers and likely the Home Front Command, are all preparing for mass vaccination of the Israeli population.
Inoculation was expected to begin in two weeks on December 27, but the ministry said it is considering moving it up to as early as this week.
Cyrille Cohen, who sits on the Advisory Committee for Clinical Trials of Coronavirus Vaccines through the Health Ministry, told The Jerusalem Post that “the FDA awarding an EUA [Emergency Use Authorization] is definitely a step in the right direction as far as the approval in Israel is concerned.”
But he cautioned that Israel’s Health Ministry is the only one that can grant an approval of the same type for the vaccine to be used in the country.
Last week, Health Ministry director-general Chezy Levy said that the ministry was working to “reduce bureaucracy, but we will not compromise on the safety of the vaccine.”
Reuters and Maayan Jaffe-Hoffman contributed to this report.