Israel to start vaccinating prisoners next week

Al-Monitor Staff

Jan 14, 2021

An Israeli health care worker prepares a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for people queuing at the Kupat Holim Clalit clinic in Jerusalem, on Jan. 14, 2021. Israel's initial vaccination rollout appears to be unfolding successfully, with some 2 million citizens having received the first of two required injections of the Pfizer-BioNTech jab, a pace widely described as the world's fastest per capita. — AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images

Israel will administer COVID-19 vaccinations to prisoners starting next week, the health minister confirmed on Thursday, following a wave of criticism from human rights groups and Israel’s own president that failure to do so would violate the detainees’ basic rights.

Israel’s public security minister, Amir Ohana, had ordered the Israeli Prison Service not to vaccinate detainees, including Palestinian security prisoners. Ohana had called for vaccinations to be given only to prison guards.