Israel has started giving coronavirus vaccines to children aged five to 11 years old.
The country recently emerged from a fourth wave and daily infections have been relatively low for the last few weeks, but data from its Health Ministry shows a large number of new infections have been in children and teenagers.
Children aged five to 11 make up nearly half of active cases, and officials hope the new inoculation campaign will help bring down the numbers and stave off a new wave.
Israeli media reported low demand for the jabs on the first day they were available to this age group.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett accompanied his son David, nine, on Tuesday to get his jab in a bid to encourage parents to have their children vaccinated.
Mr Bennett held his son’s hand as he received the jab.
His son, David Bennett said, he was a little scared but the jab did not hurt.
The Prime Minister urged all eligible children to get vaccinated, adding: “It protects our children and also parents.”
Israel, which has a population of more than nine million, has had more than 1.3 million infections since the start of the pandemic and over 8,100 deaths.
