{"id":189332,"date":"2021-02-26T01:58:34","date_gmt":"2021-02-25T22:58:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/israel-is-the-world-leader-in-vaccinations-what-can-canada-learn-from-them\/"},"modified":"2021-02-26T01:58:34","modified_gmt":"2021-02-25T22:58:34","slug":"israel-is-the-world-leader-in-vaccinations-what-can-canada-learn-from-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/israel-is-the-world-leader-in-vaccinations-what-can-canada-learn-from-them\/","title":{"rendered":"#Israel is the world leader in vaccinations. What can Canada learn from them?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4150dd3b48f\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4150dd3b48f\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/israel-is-the-world-leader-in-vaccinations-what-can-canada-learn-from-them\/#What_could_the_news_from_that_country_mean_for_our_own_vaccine_future\" >What could the news from that country mean for our own vaccine future?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/israel-is-the-world-leader-in-vaccinations-what-can-canada-learn-from-them\/#Explain_the_objective_of_the_initial_phase_of_vaccinations_and_stick_to_it\" >Explain the objective of the initial phase of vaccinations and stick to it<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/israel-is-the-world-leader-in-vaccinations-what-can-canada-learn-from-them\/#Keep_it_simple\" >Keep it simple<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/israel-is-the-world-leader-in-vaccinations-what-can-canada-learn-from-them\/#There_will_be_growing_pains\" >There will be growing pains<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/israel-is-the-world-leader-in-vaccinations-what-can-canada-learn-from-them\/#Vaccinate_as_quickly_as_supplies_allow\" >Vaccinate as quickly as supplies allow\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/israel-is-the-world-leader-in-vaccinations-what-can-canada-learn-from-them\/#The_benefits_of_vaccinations_begin_with_that_initial_very_vulnerable_group\" >The benefits of vaccinations begin with that initial, very vulnerable group\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/israel-is-the-world-leader-in-vaccinations-what-can-canada-learn-from-them\/#How_does_the_Pfizer_vaccine_cope_with_the_B117_variant\" >How does the Pfizer vaccine cope with the B.1.1.7 variant?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/israel-is-the-world-leader-in-vaccinations-what-can-canada-learn-from-them\/#Does_the_Pfizer_vaccine_prevent_the_spread_of_infection_to_others\" >Does the Pfizer vaccine prevent the spread of infection to others?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#Israel is the world leader in vaccinations. What can Canada learn from them?<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n                                                                        As of Feb. 23, Israel had given<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Israel\/status\/1364275736358629380?s=20\"> at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine to more than 70 per cent of its adult population<\/a>. That unequalled pace means that Israel has become the real-world test case of the effect of vaccines on the pandemic. Already, the number of new cases, as well as hospitalizations and deaths, are dropping quickly among the vaccinated.\u00a0As Canada ramps up its own vaccination program, Israel\u2019s recent experience seems worth a close look.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_could_the_news_from_that_country_mean_for_our_own_vaccine_future\"><\/span>What could the news from that country mean for our own vaccine future?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>First, a few caveats: Israel is a much smaller country (around 10 million people). Israel also got a great many doses earlier than other countries, in part by paying about US$50 a dose, according to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/middle_east\/israel-pfiz\">media reports<\/a>. That\u2019s about double what the European Union is paying, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/middle_east\/israel-pfiz\">according to the <i>Washington Post<\/i><\/a>. (Canada hasn\u2019t disclosed what it is paying.) It also got a lot more doses far faster than Canada on a per capita basis; it took just <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ijhpr.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s13584-021-00440-6\">two weeks for Israel to vaccinate around 10 per cent of its population<\/a>. Canada is expected to hit that mark at the end of March.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, as part of its deal with Israel, Pfizer got access to extensive data on the country\u2019s\u00a0 vaccination program, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/opinion\/articles\/2021-01-25\/covid-19-vaccine-inequality-is-about-data-not-just-doses?utm_content=view&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;cmpid%3D=socialflow-twitter-view\">according to Bloomberg News<\/a>. That\u2019s because it has a streamlined health-care system set up around just four community-based health plans, which use electronic records, as explained in <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ijhpr.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s13584-021-00440-6\">this article about the vaccination rollout that was published last month<\/a> in the <i>Israel Journal of Health Policy Research<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>The result has been a flood of early data from its health plans and research organizations as the country effectively turned itself into a study for how well the Pfizer vaccine performs. Though early results <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ear very promising, experts urge caution before delving too deep into the initial data. Much of it is still preliminary and needs further analysis.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey did institute a good chunk of their program during a lockdown,\u201d says Dr. Lisa Barrett, a member of the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology and an infectious diseases physician in Halifax. \u201cSo the plummeting rate of cases isn\u2019t solely vaccine-related.\u201d (Though cases are declining, Israel reported more than 4,100 cases on Feb. 24, well above Canada\u2019s 2,900.)<\/p>\n<p>Still, even with these necessary qualifications, there is no shortage of lessons to be drawn from Israel\u2019s experience. Here are a few:<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Explain_the_objective_of_the_initial_phase_of_vaccinations_and_stick_to_it\"><\/span><b>Explain the objective of the initial phase of vaccinations and stick to it<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In Israel, the initial phase was designed to reduce severe illness and death so as to stop the health system from being overwhelmed. The critical group was identified early: \u201cPeople aged 60 and over, nursing home residents, other people at high risk due to serious medical conditions, and front-line health care workers,\u201d the <i>IJHPR<\/i> article explained.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you look at studies across multiple different comorbidities and risks, age sticks out as the big thumb in all of it,\u201d says <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/experts.mcmaster.ca\/display\/chaglaz\">Dr. Zain Chagla, <\/a>an infectious diseases physician at St. Joseph\u2019s Healthcare in Hamilton, Ont. and an associate professor at McMaster University. \u201cI think Israel can teach us that prioritizing age is profound. It is also the very easiest to validate [through proof of age].\u201d Indeed, Israel considered raising the priority of those most responsible for transmission (ie., younger age groups, including essential workers) but decided to focus on those at greatest health risk, especially the elderly.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Keep_it_simple\"><\/span><b>Keep it simple<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Everyone knew who was responsible for notifying and vaccinating each of those initial groups, including a \u201cwell-trained, salaried, cadre of community-based nurses who are directly employed by the health plans,\u201d <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ijhpr.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s13584-021-00440-6\">the <i>IJHPR<\/i> article explained<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Israel <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-health-coronavirus-israel-vaccination\/pizza-sized-boxes-and-paying-a-premium-israels-covid-19-vaccine-rollout-idUSKBN29B0KJ\">figured out how to repackage the Pfizer vaccine<\/a>, which needs to be stored in ultra-cold freezers, into the equivalent of insulated pizza boxes for delivery to small clinics or more remote areas (with Pfizer\u2019s approval). They also used every drop of vaccine, as Canada is now doing with low-dead volume syringes.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"There_will_be_growing_pains\"><\/span><b>There will be growing pains<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Some of the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ijhpr.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s13584-021-00440-6\">initial problems encountered in Israel<\/a> will sound familiar to Canadians: difficulty scheduling appointments; not enough priority people showing up for appointments, meaning there was vaccine left over at the end of the day; lax enforcement at some sites of vaccination criteria, which effectively pushed priority people down the list in favour of others who should have waited; lower vaccination acceptance in marginalized communities.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Vaccinate_as_quickly_as_supplies_allow\"><\/span><b>Vaccinate as quickly as supplies allow\u00a0<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The unofficial theme of Israel\u2019s plan is \u201corganized chaos.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The vaccination centres were set up for speed. Paperwork was minimal\u2014\u201cTheir highly electronic way of working made things faster,\u201d Barrett notes, \u201c[while] we still deal with labels and paper\u201d\u2014and the process was streamlined with a schedule designed for flexibility. No doses were wasted, even if there was no one waiting from a priority group. At the end of one day, while <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/erlichya\/status\/1344539600304414720?s=20\">Yaniv Erlich, CEO of a pharmaceutical firm in Israel, was visiting a vaccination site, he<\/a> saw a nurse go outside, spot a pizza delivery guy and call out, \u201cPizza guy, wanna vaccine?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Now, in an effort to immunize as many adults as possible, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/reuterspictures\/status\/1362971833574817792?s=20\">Israelis are being offered free drinks at bars<\/a> if they agree to get vaccinated on the spot. They\u2019ve <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/rowlsmanthorpe\/status\/1347292577960239105?s=20\">also added a sense of celebration to the process<\/a>, an approach they share with Britain, where those being <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/01\/25\/arts\/music\/vaccine-cathedral-organ-music.html\">vaccinated in the massive Salisbury Cathedral can request music<\/a> from the organist that is timed to their appointments.<\/p>\n<p>All those measures combined to allow them to \u201cvaccinate people in a very mobile way,\u201d explains Barrett, including those forays into bars and restaurants. \u201cWe worry a lot about privacy and consent, but many people can self-regulate and say, \u2018I\u2019m good\u2019 \u201d if getting immunized in a public spot is what\u2019s available. The result could be a \u201cde-medicalized\u201d approach to vaccinations. \u201cThis is part of life, not medicine,\u201d Barrett explains.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_benefits_of_vaccinations_begin_with_that_initial_very_vulnerable_group\"><\/span><b>The benefits of vaccinations begin with that initial, very vulnerable group\u00a0<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>\u201cThe first thing from the Israel data is significant reduction in hospitalizations and deaths,\u201d said Chagla. \u201cThat is probably the first indication that something good is coming from being vaccinated.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Seniors aged 60 and older, who were in Israel\u2019s initial vaccination phase that started in December, have seen a 77 per cent plunge in new cases since their cases peaked in early January during Israel\u2019s third wave of the pandemic. When it comes to severe cases among seniors, the drop is 67 per cent, according to<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Israel\/status\/1364275736358629380?s=20\"> data from Eran Segal, a scientist at the Weizmann Institute<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast,<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/segal_eran\/status\/1364962463649849348?s=20\"> cases dropped only 52 per cent for adults<\/a> aged 20 to 39, whose vaccination rates by that point were much lower. That\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/segal_eran\/status\/1364215691650424832?s=20\">a sharp contrast from what happened during the country\u2019s previous wave<\/a>, when cases increased and then fell at roughly the same rate for all age groups.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_does_the_Pfizer_vaccine_cope_with_the_B117_variant\"><\/span><b>How does the Pfizer vaccine cope with the B.1.1.7 variant?\u00a0<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The dominant strain in Israel is the B.1.1.7 variant from Britain. A <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nejm.org\/doi\/full\/10.1056\/NEJMoa2101765?query=featured_home\">new study in the <i>New England Journal of Medicine<\/i>, examining data<\/a> from Israel\u2019s largest health organization, Clalit,\u00a0 suggests that the Pfizer vaccine \u201ceffective against this variant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The improving COVID-19 data in Israel is \u201ca good proof of principle\u201d that the vaccines are going to work against B.1.1.7, says Chagla. For example, he notes, \u201cthere are more people in critical care in Israel who are under the age of 60 than over the age of 60,\u201d which suggests that older Israelis\u2014who are more likely to have been vaccinated\u2014are fending off the mutated virus. That, he says, offers \u201ca lot of hope for Canada\u201d where B.1.1.7 will probably be the dominant strain in a month or two.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_the_Pfizer_vaccine_prevent_the_spread_of_infection_to_others\"><\/span><b>Does the Pfizer vaccine prevent the spread of infection to others?\u00a0<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>While mRNA vaccines, such as the Pfizer and Moderna ones approved in Canada, are around 95 per cent protective against symptoms of COVID-19, scientists aren\u2019t sure how well they do at preventing the spread of the virus to others.<\/p>\n<p>What is occurring in Israel is \u201cthe first inkling, with rates going down, that yes, these vaccines work at a population level, not just at an individual risk level,\u201d says Chagla. Indeed, early data released this week <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/pbaRQbWLF9?amp=1\">appears to confirm that the Pfizer vaccine does indeed a good job<\/a> at preventing infections.<br \/>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/general\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/news\/israel-is-the-world-leader-in-vaccinations-what-can-we-learn-from-them\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Israel is the world leader in vaccinations. What can Canada learn from them?&#8221; As of Feb. 23, Israel had given at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine to more than 70 per cent of its adult population. That unequalled pace means that Israel has become the real-world test case of the effect of vaccines on&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":189333,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/ISRAEL-TREBLE-FEB25-766x431.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1545,67892,1356,87355,67806,84966],"class_list":["post-189332","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-coronavirus","tag-coronavirus-in-canada","tag-covid-19","tag-covid-19-vaccines","tag-editors-picks","tag-vaxx-populi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189332","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=189332"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189332\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/189333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=189332"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=189332"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=189332"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}