In an effort to drastically increase the number of people being vaccinated each day, vaccination complexes will open in malls across the country.
The complexes are being run by Sharan Medical at Azrieli malls in Tel Aviv and Beersheba.
Sharan is the same company that has been running vaccine complexes at schools across Israel.
The vaccines will be available without an appointment and to anyone who is eligible for a jab, including children.
Azrieli in Tel Aviv has around 40,000 shoppers per day, Sharan Medical CEO Itamar Bitton said, adding: “We are expecting a dramatic increase in the number of people getting vaccinated and are preparing for an increase in demand, in coordination with the Health Ministry.”
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett held a press conference about the Omicron variant and expressed concern that not enough people were taking advantage of the vaccines that Israel is providing.
“We are pleased that we have the privilege of living in a state that looks after everyone and we, the government of Israel, are seeing to it that vaccines are accessible,” he said. “We are purchasing vaccines however we can, but ultimately, it is you parents who have the responsibility.”
Israel overcame the Delta variant in part because citizens “went and got vaccinated in large numbers,” Bennett said.
Israel ran the world’s fastest vaccination campaign in December 2020 through March 2021, and it took the country out of the third wave. When boosters were approved and began being administered in August 2021, there was a rapid response by the majority of the population. However, since then, vaccine uptake has slowed.
There are still a million Israelis eligible for booster shots who have not gotten them. Moreover, only 8% of five-year-olds and 14% of six- to 11-year-olds have gotten the jab.