In Israel, teenagers can now get the COVID-19 vaccine

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An Israeli student receives a COVID-19 vaccine injection at a vaccination center in Tel Aviv, Jan. 23, 2021. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Gabe Friedman
Published January 24, 2021

(JTA) — Israel continues to far outpace the entire world in its COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

This weekend the country’s health ministry announced that teenagers between the ages of 16 and 18 are now eligible for the vaccine.

In all, Israel has vaccinated about 2.5 million out of its approximately 9 million citizens since beginning its drive in late December, the ministry said Friday.

At the same time, the country is in the midst of a strict third national lockdown due to a recent sharp spike in COVID cases.

The health ministry reported that 7,316 new cases were confirmed Friday. Earlier in the week, the new case number peaked at over 10,000, a record.

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