Netanyahu: Vaccination campaign to begin Dec. 27

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday that Israel will begin vaccinating the public against the coronavirus on December 27, making it one of the first countries in the world to inoculate its citizens. Earlier Wednesday, Netanyahu welcomed the first shipment of doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

Hundreds of thousands of additional doses are expected in the coming days. Those who are vaccinated will receive special cards or applications for their phones to allow them to move freely about and to help reopen the economy and to encourage others to get vaccinated as well.

There was no immediate confirmation on whether Israel would be providing vaccines to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank or Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.