Individuals vaccinated in Israel but who are not members of one of the country’s healthcare providers will be able to download their vaccination certificate within 10 days, a Health Ministry representative told The Jerusalem Post.
In its wide-ranging vaccination campaign, Israel has allowed people who are not entitled to healthcare to get inoculated against the virus, including those who have Israeli citizenship but are not residents.
“I made aliyah in 1997, but I have kept commuting between Israel and the US for work reasons,” a 63-year-old man who has encountered difficulties in accessing the certificate told the Post. “For many years, I was a member of the Maccabi Health Fund, and I did not have any problem until in 2015 I was notified that since I spend more than 185 days out of the country, I was no longer considered a resident.”
“Until the pandemic hit, it was not an issue,” he said. “My American insurance would cover me in the US and would provide me emergency coverage here. After Israel started to vaccinate, I tried to set an appointment, and they would not let me in spite of the fact that I’m a citizen and four of my children fought wars in this country.”
While eventually he did manage to get vaccinated – “I’m very grateful for it,” he said – another saga to access the certificate soon began.
From Sunday and for at least two weeks, the vaccination certificate allows people to access the same facilities reserved for the “green passport” holders, including hotels, gyms and cultural and sporting events.
The Health Ministry said it is resolving some technical issues and that a solution for nonresident citizens is expected within 10 days. Foreign workers will also be able to access their vaccination certificate within 10 days, it said.