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Israeli ultra-Orthodox leaders push for children to get vaccinated

Surprisingly, the ultra-Orthodox sector is now at the forefront of the campaign to vaccinate children against the coronavirus.
Orthodox vaccination

Figures released Jan. 11 by the Ultra-Orthodox Bureau of the Ministry of Health indicated that within just one week, there has been an impressive 44 percent increase in the number of ultra-Orthodox children vaccinated against the coronavirus.

The increase is surprising, especially given the lack of enthusiasm for the vaccination of children among most sectors of the population. There was a rise of just 21 percent last week in the number of children vaccinated in the Arab sector. Yet this surpassed the rise in the general population too, which amounted to only an 18 percent increase. Considering the confusion in the Health Ministry, and with Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton making no effort to hide her opposition to the vaccination policy, many parents have avoided vaccinating their children.

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