Over 30,000 Filipinos in Israel receive free Pfizer vaccine

OVER 30,400 Filipinos in Israel received free Pfizer vaccine to protect them against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Rafael Harpaz said on Wednesday.

In a statement, the envoy said, “The free access to Covid-19 vaccine is another way of thanking them and ensuring their health and safety.”

He said about 30,000 Filipino caregivers, 400 agriculture students, and the staff of the Philippine Embassy in Israel have received the free Pfizer vaccine.

Filipinos with expired working permits were also given free vaccine shots. “Israel always took good care of the Filipino caregivers, and especially during this pandemic,” Harpaz said.

“Israel is thankful for the Filipino caregivers for helping the elderly and the disabled Israeli citizens during the Covid-19 outbreak,” he stressed.

“For many years, the Israeli government has been providing the Filipino caregivers with full access to the advanced medical services of our country,” Harpaz said.

The ambassador noted that Israel has become “a world leader” in Covid-19 vaccination. About 4.2 million people have received both shots of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine in the country.

With a population of 9.3 million, Israel has vaccinated 5.2 million people, more than a half of its population, with at least one dose, he said.

As part of the successful vaccination campaign, Israel’s Ministry of Health (MoH) has inoculated for free anyone who is in Israel, “regardless of their citizenship status or whether or not they have insurance,” Harpaz added.