Throughout the global effort against Covid-19, Israel’s public health experts have been consistently ahead of their counterparts elsewhere in the world.
By securing an early supply deal with Pfizer for its vaccine, sweetened in part by a promise to share data from Israel’s extensive network of health maintenance organizations, they have had an edge in understanding how the vaccine behaves in the real world.
They were also willing to act quickly when they saw that data, among other things suggesting to extend the vaccine to younger teenagers and to adopt a Covid passport system to persuade holdouts to get their shots if they wish to visit cinemas, restaurants or other entertainment sites.
At times the country has moved faster than some other nations might prefer. The World Health Organization, among others, has been critical of vaccinating younger teenagers or providing third booster doses at a time when billions of people in poorer countries haven’t yet had their first shots.
But where Israel goes, others often follow.
Those involved in the decision-making process in Israel credit a culture of debate and a willingness to improvise, instilled in part by long careers in the military common among senior health professionals, and tested during national security crises.
