The IDF announced Thursday that it has vaccinated most of its troops, allowing the military to resume much of its normal operations.
“The IDF is the first weapon in the world to reach herd protection,” Maj said. Gen. Itzik Turgeman, head of the army’s Technology and Logistics Directorate, which oversees their Medical Department.
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An IDF soldier receives the coronavirus vaccine at a medical center on the Tzrifin military base
(Photo: AFP)
The military said 81% of its soldiers had been vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19. That number is expected to rise to 85% in the coming days.
Confirmed cases among soldiers have also dropped to 149 as of Thursday from a peak of 2,033 last month.
Brig. Gen. Alon Glazberg, the IDF’s chief medical officer, said units in which 90% of the soldiers had been vaccinated or recovered were given “green” status. Such units have much more flexibility in training, assembly and operation.
“This will allow us to train and operate in a more normal way,” he told reporters. “There are still some limitations, but in general, a green unit can go back and behave like a single capsule. “
According to the IDF, about 8% of soldiers are classified as “vaccine refusal.” Some of these are women in the early stages of pregnancy, while others work out of ideological or political motivation. Military officials said they could not force the remaining soldiers to be vaccinated.
Army officials said PR efforts to promote vaccines and immunization centers will continue to work at several large bases. It was also stated that new soldiers will not be given the coronavirus vaccine as part of their registration process since they will be injected for other diseases.