More than 10% of Israel's population has received the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine, a rate far exceeding the rest of the world.

Israel's vaccination campaign started on December 20 and as of January 1, the number of vaccines injected per 100 people in the country was 11.5, three times the second fastest country in the world, "

Meanwhile, less than 1% of the US population and only a small fraction of the population in many European countries have been vaccinated by the end of 2020, even though China, the US and UK have already distributed more doses.

"It's an amazing story," said Professor Ran Balicer, chairman of the advisory group to the Israeli government on the Covid-19 response.

Balicer said Israel's advantage is the size of the country and the small population of 9 million people.

Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said Israel soon negotiated with manufacturers and companies willing to provide vaccines to Israel for the Health Protection Organizations (HMOs - health insurance programs that members must go to).

Political fights, confusing directives and a lack of public trust in the government put Israel in a tough spot in October, as it struggled to cope with the rise in cases and deaths.

While restrictions imposed in the fall have reduced the number of new nCoV cases, in recent weeks Israel has seen an increase of more than 5,000 cases per day, prompting the country to have a third blockade.

Israel does not disclose the exact number of doses of vaccine it has received or how much money it has spent on purchasing them, explaining that the agreements are confidential.

Professor Jonathan Halevy, president of Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, calls the early deployment of the vaccine "the right strategy".

With Israel prioritizing healthcare workers and citizens aged 60 and over, Edelstein says the majority of the population in the high-risk group could get a second shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine before the end of January.

Prime Minister Netanyahu, being tried on charges of bribery, fraud and credit abuse, has made the vaccination campaign a personal mission.

In early December 2020, after Pfizer announced his preliminary results, Netanyahu said he worked "around the clock" to reach a deal, even calling the company's chief executive at 2:00.

Israel will hold elections in March, and Netanyahu is taking the prospect of Israel quickly coming out of the economic and medical crisis as the foundation of its political campaign.

Netanyahu has been commended for his efforts, even from some longtime critics, after many suggested he poorly handled the crisis last year.

Netanyahu became the first Israeli to get a vaccine on December 19, saying he wanted to set an example for the people.

On December 31, he visited an immunization center in the town of Tira, central Israel, to encourage the country's Arab minority community to get more vaccinations.

"We have brought in millions of doses of vaccine, more than any other country in the world, in terms of population size," Netanyahu said.

The Arab representatives said they had to fight fake news about vaccines on social media and Arabic news.

Conservative Jewish communities, particularly those hit especially hard during the pandemic, are also seen as a potential immunization resistance group.

Professor Yitzchok Zilberstein, who has a voice in the community, issued the statement after consulting with Professor Balicer that any risks posed by the vaccine are negligible compared to the dangers of the virus.

Israel's vaccination campaign has not yet extended to Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

The United Nations Humanitarian Service for Occupied Territories this week said the Palestinian government has applied for financial assistance from the global vaccine sharing system Covax and is working with organizations.

Edelstein says the Israeli government's primary duty is to take care of its citizens, but Israel is ready to help prevent infections in the Palestinians if possible.

At the HMO headquarters in Jerusalem this week, the vaccination has been very orderly.

In Tel Aviv, Sourasky Town Hall and Medical Center said that in response to demand, they opened a large vaccination center in the city's Rabin Square in the first week of January.

They sometimes even urge those who are not in the priority group to get vaccinated, instead of throwing away leftover thawed vaccine trays that cannot be stored until the next day.