Israel has expanded its Covid-19 vaccination drive to include 16 to 18-year-olds in what the government described as an effort to enable their attendance at school exams.

The vaccines were initially limited to the elderly and other high-risk categories, but are now available to anyone over 40 or — with parental permission — those between 16 and 18.

The inclusion of late teens is meant “to enable their return [to school] and the orderly holding of exams”, the Education Ministry spokeswoman said.