Israel plans to vaccinate 2 million by end of January

As of Friday, one million people had received their first injection

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Israel said Sunday two million people will have received a two-dose COVID-19 vaccination by the end of January, a pace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boasts is the world's fastest.

Starting on December 19, when Netanyahu received his first jab, Israel launched an aggressive push to administer the vaccine made by the US-German pharma alliance Pfizer-BioNTech.

Health Ministry Director-General Chezi Levy said that because of the enthusiastic takeup, Israel would be easing the speed of vaccination to eke out stocks.

The vaccine must be given in two separate jabs, administered three weeks apart.

"We are slowing the pace of vaccinations of the first dose, so that we can keep reserved stock for a second dose for all those who got a first shot," Levy told public broadcaster KAN.

But he added that around a fifth of Israel's people, starting with health workers and those over 60, would have had both shots by the end of this month.

As of Friday, one million people had received their first injection. Read more at i24