Israel will donate about 2.5 million vaccines to Astra Zenka's corona to countries in Africa

The Prime Minister's Office, Foreign Affairs and Health, decided today (Wednesday) to donate about 2.5 million vaccines to Astra Zenka's corona to countries in Africa and other countries. The donation is part of the COVAX initiative led by the World Health Organization and is intended to provide equal access to vaccines for corona to developing countries as well.
The vaccine rations allocated for the benefit of the donation were supposed to arrive in Israel in the coming days, but the state agreed with the company that the stock would be sent to other countries. According to the agreement with the COVAX initiative, Israel will be able to influence the identity of the countries that will receive the vaccines.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid commented on the decision and said that Israel is joining the international effort to vaccinate populations that are unable to obtain vaccines. "I am happy that Israel can contribute and be a partner in eradicating the plague in the world," Lapid said. "As long as there is no vaccine distribution that will help eradicate the virus worldwide, the corona plague will continue to spread and new variants will develop in areas where vaccine rates are low."
Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz also commented on the decision, saying: "A global epidemic requires us to look beyond borders. If everyone fights alone, we will not get out of it. The donation of vaccines from Israel is the right thing to do, and also the moral one. We share the information and data collected in Israel with the countries of the world, and share the vast and successful experience we have accumulated. " "The contribution of 2.5 million vaccines to African and other countries is another important move in this direction," he said.
The effectiveness of Astra Zenka vaccines is considered less than that of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, but the Ministry of Health began vaccinating Israelis last October who for health reasons could not receive the vaccines of other companies. The vaccine is also given to Israelis who refuse to receive mRNA vaccines - like the vaccines commonly used in Israel.
Last June, Israel agreed with the Palestinian Authority that it would deliver about a million Pfizer vaccines that were about to expire, in exchange for the same amount of vaccines that were intended for the PA and were to be received a few months later. Israel delivered about 100,000 first-dose vaccines, but the Palestinians eventually decided not to take them and postponed the deal.