Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks after receiving a vaccine at Sheba Medical Center in central Israeli city of Ramat Gan, on Dec. 19, 2020. Netanyahu got vaccinated for the COVID-19 virus on a live television broadcast Saturday evening. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu got vaccinated for the COVID-19 virus on a live television broadcast Saturday evening.

Netanyahu and Health Minister Yuli Edelstein received the shot at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv.

Netanyahu was the first Israeli to receive the vaccine, hours before a major roll-out of the vaccinations was to begin in the country.

"This is a great day," Netanyahu told reporters at Sheba, "I believe in this vaccine and I am doing this to serve as a role model and encourage people to get vaccinated."

First in line to be inoculated starting Sunday will be medical staff, elderly people and people with high-risk factors.

The large-scale immunization operation comes as Israel faces an up-tick in virus cases in recent weeks. Enditem