Israel, a global leader in COVID vaccinations, finds limits

Israel, a global leader in COVID vaccinations, finds limits

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) “” When it comes to fighting the coronavirus, Israel is discovering the limits of vaccines.The country famous for its high-tech prowess and spirit of innovation is home to the world's speediest vaccination drive, fueled from the top by national pride and a deep longing to start "getting back to life,“ as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu put it.But experts say reopening the country will still take months, complicated by coronavirus mutations that have spread from Britain and South Africa, a refusal among some sectors to adhere to safety rules and wobbles in the pace of vaccinations of people under 60.ADVERTISEMENTWhile the government is expected to begin easing a third nationwide lockdown in the coming days, there are likely to be further, partial closings as the threat ebbs and flows."This is going to be a balancing act,“ said Eyal Leshem, director of the Center for Travel Medicine and Tropical Diseases at Sheba Medical Center. In an impressive feat, more than a third of Israel's 9.3 million people have received at least one shot in mere weeks, and over 1.9 million have gotten both doses, perhaps putting the country on track to inoculate nearly its entire adult population