Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on hand at Ben-Gurion International Airport on Wednesday to welcome the arrival of a plane bearing the first shipment of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.
Israel inked a $237.5 million deal with Pfizer last month for 8 million doses of the vaccine, sufficient to inoculate nearly half the country’s population.
“I have been serving as prime minister of Israel for more than few years, and this is one of the most moving moments,” said Netanyahu. “I have worked very hard, for long months, with the health minister and the people of his ministry in order to bring relief and a solution to the coronavirus pandemic.”
“We are here today on a great holiday for the State of Israel. We see the end. We still need to follow the rules regarding masks, hands and distancing, but the end is in sight. What is important to me is that millions of Israelis be vaccinated,” said Netanyahu.
“I believe in this vaccine. I expect that it will receive the appropriate permits in the coming days and I want the citizens of Israel to be vaccinated. In order to do this, I want to serve as an example for them, and I intend to be the first in the State of Israel to be vaccinated with this vaccine,” he said.
“I am certain that many of you will also do so. We see the light at the end of the pandemic. This is a holiday for Israel.”
From the airport, the vaccines will be transported to a cold-storage facility.