COVID in Israel: How Many Have Already Been Vaccinated

Israel's vaccination drive is continuing apace, with half of the population inoculated with the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and more than a third of the population receiving their second jab, according to data released by the Health Ministry. 

According to the latest figures from Fridaty, Israel has inoculated more than 4.6 million people (50 percent of the population), with more than 100,000 people receiving a jab on Thursday. Of the overall figure, almost 3.3 million people (35.2 percent of the population) have received the second dose of the vaccine.

Also on Thursday, Israel halted all shipments of COVID-19 vaccines abroad, Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit said on Thursday, adding that he was looking into the legality of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to send vaccines to foreign countries.

Mendelblit said he was told by Israel’s National Security Council all shipments have been stopped, pending a legal review of the scheme, which critics argue Netanyahu has no authority to approve.