Why Does Israel Lead the World in COVID-19 Vaccinations? Applying Mass Casualty Event Principles to COVID-19 Vaccination Programs.

The article examines Israel's experience in managing the COVID-19 vaccination program beginning in December 2020. Utilizing principles of mass casualty event management, such as triaging, flow of casualty care, and flexibility (among others), we analyze Israel's vaccination program. The successful Israeli experience was found to be based on timely coordinated and adaptive health system logistics and operations, as well as cooperative population behaviors.

You're It-You've Got to Save Someone: Immediate Responders, Not Bystanders.

Recurring disasters and life-threatening emergencies mandate that communities across the world be adequately prepared to prevent, respond, and recover from these events. Experiences throughout the world with mass casualty incidents and other disasters have increasingly highlighted the vital role that "active bystanders"-persons at the scene of an event who step forward to help-can play in preventing, containing, reporting, saving lives, decreasing morbidity, and increasing resilience. This paper seeks to emphasize the importance of the public in response to emergencies.

Metabolic syndrome: a risk factor for high intraocular pressure in the Israeli population.

Aim: To evaluate the association among elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), the metabolic syndrome (MetS), body mass index (BMI), and some of their components in the Israeli population.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 12 747 soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forces, aged 35y or older, who underwent a routine periodical medical examination between 1991 and 2004. None of the subjects received medical treatment for either glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

The public health system response to the 2008 Sichuan province earthquake: a literature review and interviews.

This paper describes and analyses the public health system response to the deadly earthquake in Sichuan province, China, in May 2008. Drawing on an experiential learning project consisting of a literature review and field research, including a series of interviews with medical and public health professionals, policy-makers and first responders, a conceptual framework was developed to describe the response. This approach emphasises the pre-existing preparedness level of the medical and public health systems, as well as social, economic and geo-political factors that had an impact on mitigation efforts.

Mass casualty response in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks.

Objectives: The November 26-29, 2008, terrorist attacks on Mumbai were unique in its international media attention, multiple strategies of attack, and the disproportionate national fear they triggered. Everyone was a target: random members of the general population, iconic targets, and foreigners alike were under attack by the terrorists.

Methods: A retrospective, descriptive study of the distribution of terror victims to various city hospitals, critical radius, surge capacity, and the nature of specialized medical interventions was gathered through police, legal reports, and interviews with key informants.

A retrospective study of the eligibility for tonsillectomy.

Background: The criteria for tonsillectomy for recurrent tonsillitis were established by prospective studies in the pediatric population and are applied to adults as well. No studies have been conducted to assess whether these guidelines are followed.

Objectives: To examine the eligibility for tonsillectomy of tonsillectomized patients who were referred because of recurrent acute tonsillitis.

Wireless capsule endoscopy in Israeli Defense Force: two years of experience.

Objectives: Evaluate outcome and diagnostic yield of capsule endoscopy (CE) in soldiers with suspected small bowel disease, in comparison to traditional diagnostic procedures.

Methods: 27 consecutive soldiers who underwent CE between June 2002 and February 2004 were enrolled. Results of CE were compared to standard techniques.

[Predictable surprise--the 2008 Sichuan earthquake].

A 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck Sichuan Province of China on Monday, May 12, 2008. It was a predictable surprise and the most damaging earthquake since the 2004 Tsunami disaster: over 70,000 dead, about 20,000 missing more than 200,000 injured and almost ten million homeless.

Leadership as a component of crowd control in a hospital dealing with a mass-casualty incident: lessons learned from the October 2000 riots in Nazareth.

Introduction: Crowd control is essential to the handling of mass-casualty incidents (MCIs). This is the task of the police at the site of the incident. For a hospital, responsibility falls on its security forces, with the police assuming an auxiliary role.

The cost of preventing stigma by hospitalizing soldiers in a general hospital instead of a psychiatric hospital.

Hospitalization costs are lower in psychiatric hospitals than in psychiatric departments of general hospitals. However, soldiers hospitalized in psychiatric hospitals are subject to the stigma associated with mental illness. The goal of this study was to examine the financial costs of preventing such stigma by hospitalizing soldiers in psychiatric departments of general hospitals, rather than less expensive psychiatric hospitals.

The minority of young adult men with sexual disorders seek medical treatment.

Introduction: The Israel Defense Force (IDF) conducts screening examinations of military personnel aimed at early detection of morbidities, including erectile dysfunction (ED) and other sexual disorders (SDs). Men with SDs are referred to the IDF's sex clinic for consultation.

Aim: We present the long-term compliance of military men with SDs to the screening program.

Blast-related injuries from terrorism: an international perspective.

Terrorism using conventional weapons and explosive devices is a likely scenario and occurs almost daily somewhere in the world. Caring for those injured from explosive devices is a major concern for acute injury care providers. Learning from nations that have experienced conventional weapon attacks on their civilian population is critical to improving preparedness worldwide.

Relationship between night myopia and night-time motor vehicle accidents.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between night myopia and the occurrence of night-time motor vehicle accidents in a group of professional drivers.

Methods: We examined 136 professional drivers. Refraction was determined in full illumination (100 cd/m2) and after sitting in darkness for 5 mins.

Reorganization of secondary medical care in the Israeli Defense Forces Medical Corps: A cost-effect analysis.

Objective: To increase accessibility and availability of secondary medical care, 10 secondary unit specialist clinics were established side-by-side with five existing regional specialist centers, thus achieving decentralization. The purpose was to analyze the impact of this reorganization on overall consumption of secondary medical care and expenditures.

Methods: Consumption of secondary medical care was analyzed by using computerized clinic and Medical Corps databases.

Characteristics of skeletal stress fractures in female military recruits of the Israel defense forces on bone scintigraphy.

Aim: Clinical surveys on stress fractures (SF) in female military recruits are scarce. The aim of this study was to characterize the scintigraphic findings and classify the distribution and pattern of SF in a group of female recruits of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Materials And Methods: The bone scans of 146 female recruits (age range, 19-20.

The prevalence of reversible cardiovascular risk factors in Israelis aged 25-55 years.

Background: Coronary heart disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Early detection of cardiovascular risk factors and intervention may reduce consequential morbidity and mortality.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of reversible and treatable cardiovascular risk factors among 26,477 healthy Israeli adults: 23,339 men and 3138 women aged 25-55 years.

Comparison of health care services for career soldiers throughout the world.

Health care systems operate differently in every country and are products of historical and political factors. We compared health care systems for career soldiers in various countries with those of the Israel Defense Forces. Questionnaires requesting data regarding military health care services provided in their countries were sent to military attaches serving in Israel.

[Unplanned pregnancies among women soldiers in the IDF--an overview].

Unlabelled: According to the Security Service Law in Israel, a pregnant soldier serving her compulsory military service, who decides to continue with the pregnancy, is discharged from military service. If she wishes to terminate the pregnancy (TOP) and continue serving in the army, she is referred to a civilian pregnancy termination committee.

Objective: This article aims to examine the incidence of pregnancies amongst soldiers during their compulsory military service (ages 18-20 years) and characterize the populations at risk.

[Knowledge management in health organizations].

Background: In 2002 the head of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Technology and Logistics Command took a strategic decision to manage knowledge across the organization. The IDF Medical Corps was one of the initiation sites selected. Insights from the process of establishment of a knowledge management (KM) system in the IDF Medical Corps as a health organization (HO) are described.

[Eye cosmetics--the beauty and the beast].

The use of eye cosmetics is a popular practice in modern times that dates back to ancient civilizations. This practice, however, is not without hazards. The most common adverse effect of eye cosmetics is eyelid dermatitis, although an array of other adverse effects has been reported.