Health Ministry Director-General Prof. Hezi Levi on Thursday warned the heads of Israel's hospitals, health maintenance organizations and medical institutions that they must not prioritize celebrities when vaccinating against coronavirus - unless they belong to priority groups.
Levi fired off his warning letter after Ynet revealed that certain officials within the healthcare system have been offering to pay celebrities and social media influencers to get the coronavirus vaccine before others in order to raise awareness and emphasize the importance of the vaccination.
Associates of one well-known singer told Ynet that a certain hospital offered to vaccinate him and his entire nuclear family before everyone else, including at-risk groups.
At least two celebrities declined the offer, arguing that it was unfair that they could receive the vaccine before others.
"This could harm the artist’s image," one source said. "There were offers with a lot of money and the artists I spoke to refused - and rightly so. Why would they accept the vaccine before at-risk people?"
On Wednesday the Health Ministry issued a list of the priority recipients of the vaccine, with healthcare workers at the top. Hospital workers will be the first to receive the vaccine, followed by staff at HMOs and private health clinics.
Workers at geriatric and psychiatric institutions will be vaccinated next, alongside nursing and medical students and members of the Magen David Adom rescue organization and other similar bodies.
They will be followed by employees and residents of nursing homes and members of the public over the age of 60.
People suffering from underlying health conditions, including diabetes, obesity, COPD lung disease, hypertension, patients with immunosuppression, those who have undergone organ transplants or suffer from hematologic disorders will be eligible to receive the vaccine in the second stage of the roll out.
Furthermore, IDF troops on active duty will start receiving the vaccine as early as the end of next month, with IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi becoming the first serving member of the armed forces to be inoculated.
The medical staff within the military will be vaccinated first, followed by soldiers who have underlying health problems.
Israelis not eligible to receive the vaccine at this time are those who recently recovered from the pathogen and have antibodies, pregnant or breastfeeding women (or women trying to get pregnant), people with severe allergies and children under 16.