GAZA/RAMALLAH, West Bank, Sept 1 (Reuters) – After mandating vaccinations for workers and many students – and offering prize money – to nudge a skeptical public to get the jab, Palestinian officials report a big boost in vaccine uptake they hope will stem a surge in COVID-19 infections. More Palestinians in Gaza have taken the vaccine in the past week – some 133,000 – than in the entire six-month period prior, health ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qidra said. The West Bank has registered a similar jump in vaccinations. New infections in the West Bank and Gaza have surged since the global emergence of the highly infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus. PA health officials began administering vaccines in West Bank schools this week to keep up the momentum.
