The Claims Conference, which administers compensation funds for victims of Nazi persecution, identified a large number of Holocaust survivors in Israel who are physically unable to leave their homes and therefore unable to obtain the corona vaccine.
The organization allocated NIS 5 million to provide staff, ambulances and special transportation to allow these individuals to leave their homes and get to vaccination centers where they can be inoculated.
Those making use of the service will be taken from their homes to the centers and back home again once they have been vaccinated.
United Hatzalah has started making phone calls to each of the 20,000 Holocaust survivors identified by the Claims Conference to coordinate a date for their vaccinations, and will begin taking them to vaccination centers on Wednesday.
“The importance of returning Holocaust survivors to our daily and social routine is a high priority for us,” said Claims Conference Vice President Shlomo Gur. “With the help of United Hatzalah, an organization with excellent operational capabilities, we will be able to bring housebound Holocaust survivors to be vaccinated and then meet with family, friends and caregivers. We know that the last year has been particularly difficult, and therefore we will do anything we can to put an end to their social distancing.”
United Hatzalah director Eli Polak said, “We feel a special duty to protect the health of Holocaust survivors, and taking them to get vaccinated is a great and special mission… We are proud to take part in such a project.”