Israel, which has vaccinated a higher percentage of its citizens against the coronavirus than any other country in the world, has largely resumed pre-pandemic life.
4.98 million Israelis, making up nearly 55% of the country’s total population, have received vaccines produced by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, according to The Washington Post. As a result, the country averages only 130 new cases and five new deaths per day, according to Reuters.
With most adults now vaccinated, Israelis are busting loose https://t.co/9t1DrqiJnK
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 21, 2021
Israel’s success in combating the novel coronavirus is due in large part to its successful vaccination of older adults.
Accordingly, 90% of Israelis over the age of 50 have been fully vaccinated against the virus, according to the Post. More than 77% of people in the United States who have died of coronavirus were over the age of 65, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We were quickly vaccinating the population, and at the same time, we were dealing with huge numbers every day,” Israeli Health Minister Yuli Edelstein told the Post. “Then all of the sudden, there was a breaking point.”
Pfizer confirmed that its vaccine was also successful at preventing the asymptomatic spread of the coronavirus, using Israeli data to calculate a 94% effectiveness rate. On the other hand, the Moderna vaccine is also over 90% effective. (RELATED: The CDC Proves Incapable Of Putting Together A Coherent Message On COVID-19 Guidelines)
With infections and deaths continuing to drop, Israelis are returning to bars, restaurants, and theaters. “The first day that we opened here, we were flooded,” a Tel Aviv restaurant owner, David Aboucaya, said.
The country repealed its outdoor mask mandate on April 18, although it still requires masks to be worn inside.
While Israel leads the world in vaccinating its population, the United States is not far behind. Half of all American adults have now received at least one vaccine, and one-third are fully vaccinated.
Some states, however, prioritized essential workers over some seniors, leading to slower vaccine rollouts for older adults.
More than 65% of all American seniors are fully vaccinated, and more than 80% have received at least one dose, according to the CDC.