Israel yesterday signed procurement agreements for additional Covid-19 vaccine doses with Pfizer and Moderna. Israel will receive 10 million vaccine doses from Pfizer and 8 million doses from Moderna by the end of 2022. These vaccines will be enough, together with existing reserves, to supply all Israel's needs until the end of next year. All new vaccine doses sent to Israel will be adapted according to any new Covid variants that emerge.
Israel's Ministry of Health estimates that two more vaccinations per person will be needed next year to boost the number of antibodies in each recipient.
Israel has already vaccinated nearly 5.4 million people against Covid-19, including nearly 5 million people who have received two Pfizer vaccine doses. A consignment of 700,000 Pfizer Covid vaccine doses is due in Israel in the coming few days so that Israel can start vaccinating 12-16 year olds, as soon as the expected FDA approval is given to vaccinate that age group.
A source informed "Globes" that a clause in the procurement contract with Moderna requires Israel to make more extensive use of the vaccine, rather than marginal use. Israel has exclusively used the Pfizer vaccine so far, as part of a data for doses agreement, which ensured that Israel received enough vaccine doses for all its eligible population, while Pfizer has been able to monitor real time results of the vaccine during Israel's swift rollout.
The cost of each vaccine dose in the new Pfizer and Moderna deals is $30 for a total expenditure of NIS 1.8 billion from surplus funds in the Covid-19 special budget, which has already been approved by the cabinet. In this way Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been able to sidestep the ultimatum by Minister of Defense Benny Gantz that he would only approve the budget for the additional vaccines if a new Minister of Justice is immediately appointed.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on April 20, 2021
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