“With Israel’s society now reopening, a new normal is establishing itself in which digital transformation during the pandemic has left its mark"
How is Israel looking to unlock its society?
Israeli citizens are downloading a green ‘vaccine’ passport once vaccinated, certifying that they have had the vaccine. For now, this green passport is valid for six months. As Israeli society starts to reopen, more venues, offices and shopping malls are requiring citizens to show their green passport or provide proof of a negative PCR test which is less than 48 hours old.
Given the inconvenience of re-testing, citizens have been quick to opt for the vaccine. The big question which we need clarity on is how long vaccination immunity will last (see ‘Talking with pharma’). In addition – even with the South Africa and UK or Brazil variants under scrutiny – we don’t know for how long the current crop of vaccines will remain effective against mutations. Israel is therefore preparing through the distribution channels it has built in the last six months to administer upgraded vaccines or booster shots to citizens if new variants force us to move quickly.
Finally, a key element of re-opening society is ensuring the proper screening and controlled entry of people into the country. Maintaining a limited number of controlled entry points into Israel, alongside opening COVID-safe travel corridors with third countries, is needed in order to get society moving again.
What challenges has Israel faced in the uptake of vaccines across its communities and what lessons can other countries learn?
Anti-vaccine sentiment existed long before the pandemic. Digital channels and social media create echo chambers within certain communities, raising challenges for the even uptake of vaccines across society. Ultimately, countries have to strike a balance between allowing individuals not to take the vaccine with preserving the rights of a majority of citizens who wish to be protected from the virus.
However, the argument is increasingly academic in Israel – with vaccination levels above 90% as of early March for Israelis who are 50 years old or over, herd immunity for the more vulnerable age groups is within reach.
Vaccination levels by early March
Talking with pharma
In our latest discussions with US and Swiss pharmaceutical giants Roche and Pfizer, we find out more about the science behind testing and vaccinating and how economies can adapt to living with COVID-19 mutations.