At least one Israeli hospital – Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv – has sought government permission to begin COVID-19 vaccinations of staff members in the coming days.

Israel has procured a large number of vaccine doses from both Pfizer and Moderna, as well as doses of the Russian-made COVID-19 vaccination. Israel is also working on its own coronavirus vaccine, Brilife.

Officials at Ichilov pointed to the fact that Britain’s NHS had already approved and begun administering the Pfizer vaccination, and saw no need for Israel to await FDA approval from the United States.