Palestinian vaccine drive faces funding shortfall: World Bank

Bank urges Israel, which has made the most progress globally on vaccination, to give Palestinians its surplus shots.

The Palestinians’ COVID-19 vaccination plan faces a $30m-funding shortfall, even after factoring in support from a global vaccine scheme for poorer economies, the World Bank said in a report on Monday. Israel, a world leader in terms of vaccination speed, should consider donating surplus doses to the Palestinians to help accelerate a vaccine roll-out in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, the bank said. “In order to ensure there is an effective vaccination campaign, Palestinian and Israeli authorities should coordinate in the financing, purchase and distribution of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines,” it said.