Following a survey by the sports channel, according to which the vast majority of foreign players are not interested in getting vaccinated at this stage, the league administration reports that so far about 60 percent of the players and staff have been vaccinated, and it is expected that only about 20 percent are not interested in getting vaccinated at this time.
Yesterday, the chairman of the administration, Shmuel Frenkel, sent a letter in Hebrew and English personally to each player, along with ongoing conversations with the players and teams on the subject. Frenkel He said today: “I am happy that in a few weeks we will probably be the most vaccinated league in the world with 80 percent vaccinated and hopefully we will also be able to convince the remaining 20 percent to be vaccinated soon. Every game. “
The reasons for those who do not want to at this stage are not uniform and complex for several reasons. Officials in most league teams say the main reason is mental-cultural: While Israel is one of the few countries to be vaccinated to such a high degree, in the US, the country of origin of most foreigners, the vaccine is not on the public agenda as it happens in Israel, so players do not feel The sense of urgency like their Israeli friends.
Another aspect is the fact that most players, who are in their twenties, feel healthy and strong, and therefore do not find it appropriate to put into their body something that their perception may disrupt their natural resilience. Another, simpler reason is that the players have not yet taken the time to think about the issue, and they are less exposed to the many reports in the Israeli media about the importance of the vaccine.