Covid-19 Vaccine Human Trials Launched in Israel

On Sunday morning, two Israeli citizens were inoculated with the first-ever doses of a coronavirus vaccine. It is a candidate at the Sheba Medical Center and Hadassah-University Medical Center, located in Tel Hashomer and Ein Kerem in Jerusalem, respectively. 

The first to volunteer was a 34-year old resident from the Moshav Telalim region in the South of the country. Anar Ottolenghi was vaccinated at Hadassah-University Medical Center. The second volunteer was 26-year old Segev Harel. He was vaccinated at Sheba Medical Center and belongs to the Kfar Yona region, situated towards the east of Netanya. 

Shortly after being inoculated, Ottolenghi was asked how he was doing. A doctoral student in immunology studying at Ben-Gurion University of the Negey, he said that he was feeling excited and good about volunteering. He also encouraged other people to join in on the experiment and volunteer to get inoculated. In his opinion, this will lead to the greater good of the general public.

This Israeli vaccine, called ‘Brilife’ was created and developed by the well-known Israel Institute for Biological Research. Sunday was the first day of Phase I that is human trials. 

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister, had a meeting with Harel. Shortly after, he gave a speech in which he admitted that the development of vaccines is the key to exiting the coronavirus crisis. Thus, in his opinion, Sunday was an important day that gave people encouragement and hope. He wished success to the human trials and all of its stages. 

The Prime Minister also thanked God for allowing a vaccine to be made in the country. It was also revealed that the Health Ministry had joined hands with some major pharmaceutical companies and was working on bringing vaccines to Israel. Netanyahu informed that the country has already entered into contractual agreements with Moderna and Arcturus, two American vaccine makers. 

Last week, reports of the Mossad bringing in a coronavirus vaccine from China surfaced in the media. It was said that Israeli labs wanted to study its biology and use it to design a vaccine of their own. 

Netanyahu said that he is personally using the connections he has built with various world leaders to ensure that a vaccine is produced locally in the country. He expressed that he hopes to see Israel at the front of the line to receive the vaccine. The Prime Minister went on to say that he has spoken to his friend Mike Pence regarding this issue, who is the Vice President of the US. Moreover, he named Narendra Modi, the Indian leader, Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, and Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, as the people he has engaged in vaccine discussions with.

The leader added that either through independent production set up in the country or through imports, the vaccine will be given to all the citizens of the country. He continued to say that with God’s help, there will one day be vaccines in the country. Though not right away, it is Netanyahu’s belief that Israel will soon be pandemic-free.