Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu‏‏ will be the first Israeli to get vaccinated for the coronavirus on Motzei Shabbos, and possibly the first world leader to do so.

The prime minister’s inoculation at Sheba Hospital in Tel Hashomer will be broadcast live to the Israeli public.

President Reuven Rivlin, 82, will be vaccinated on Sunday at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center in Jerusalem. Also on Sunday, IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi will be the first IDF officer to be vaccinated in order to set an example for the rest of the soldiers and staff, the IDF stated this week.

Medical personnel will begin to be vaccinated on Sunday as well and those over 60 and at-risk populations will start receiving vaccinations on Monday.

Medical workers will be the first to be vaccinated, followed by residents and caregivers at senior living homes. Next in line will be those with high-risk conditions and anyone over 60, followed by those who work at high-exposure jobs such as teachers, social workers, prison employees and prisoners, IDF soldiers and other security personnel.

Vaccines will only be available in large cities in the first few days of the vaccination campaign.

Below is a video of Health Minister Yuli Edelstein telling the Knesset that he is confident about the safety of the vaccines since they have been thoroughly evaluated: “Also yesterday a person that I personally greatly respect, HaRav Elimelech Firer, called for the public to be vaccinated, according to the opinion of all Gedolei Yisrael,” Edelstein said.

שר הבריאות יולי אדלשטיין: "אני רגוע לגבי טיב החיסונים. הם נבדקו בכל צורה אפשרית. גם אתמול אדם שאני מאוד מעריך באופן אישי, הרב אלימלך פירר, הוציא, על דעת כל גדולי ישראל, קריאה ללכת להתחסן. pic.twitter.com/6R2bUMsWdL

— ישראל כהן (@Israelcohen911) December 16, 2020

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)