JERUSALEM, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Israel has started vaccinating teenagers aged between 12 and 15 against the novel coronavirus, health authorities said on Sunday.

This follows a decision taken by the Israeli Ministry of Health last Wednesday to expand the age range of eligibility to receive the vaccine.

The vaccination campaign in Israel began on Dec. 20, 2020, with the first phase targeting medical staff, people aged over 65, and chronic patients. Since then, the age of eligibility has been gradually lowered, and people aged 16 and above have been eligible for the jab.

To date, nearly 5.46 million people have received the Pfizer vaccine in Israel, or 58.5 percent of the total population.