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Israel Shares Vaccine Data With Pfizer

Linda Gradstein

   JERUSALEM - Israel has sped ahead of any other country in its vaccine
   rollout, with more than 2 million people out of a total of 9.3 million
   already having received the first vaccination. In exchange for access
   to so many doses so early, Israel agreed to share data with Pfizer, a
   move some in Israel says raises privacy concerns.

   As much of the world scrambles to acquire enough vaccines for their
   respective populations, Israel already has secured enough doses for its
   entire population of 9.3 million people. According to media reports,
   Israel has paid well above the going rate for the Pfizer vaccines,
   hoping to be able to open the Israeli economy sooner.

   Israeli Health Minister Yuli Edelstein says that as part of the deal,
   Israel also has offered to share epidemiological data with Pfizer.

   "What we promised them, and we do keep the promises you can see, that
   if we get the vaccine, we'll be very efficient," said Edelstein. "We'll
   vaccinate big numbers of the Israeli population, a huge proportion of
   the Israeli population very soon. And Pfizer will be able to see how it
   influences the level of disease in Israel, the possibility to open the
   economy, different aspects of social life, whether there are any
   effects of the vaccination."

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