Morocco launches coronavirus vaccination campaign | Health

Morocco launched its coronavirus vaccination campaign on Thursday, which will mainly target health workers, security forces and people over 75, according to Moroccan authorities.

Morocco has one of the most advanced vaccination programs in Africa, although the continent lags far behind wealthier countries such as the United States or Great Britain to vaccinate its citizens against the virus which continues to spread. propagate.

The North African kingdom has received in recent days its first shipments of vaccine doses from Chinese Sinopharm and Anglo-Swedish AstraZeneca. The government did not disclose how many doses it had received, but the royal palace said the country had sufficient quantities to start vaccinations “under the best conditions.”

The vaccinations will be free and the health ministry said patients will receive two doses in 21 days.

Morocco says it will receive 66 million doses of the vaccine, covering about 80% of its population of 35 million. But AstraZeneca’s supply problems, which are causing political tensions across Europe, could derail Morocco’s plans. The country initially pledged to roll out the vaccine last month, but the first doses didn’t arrive until Friday.

The campaign begins at a time when confirmed virus cases are declining, apparently due to a drop in testing. Morocco has notified more than 468,383 confirmed cases, including 8,207 deaths.

Morocco approved the emergency use of AstraZeneca and Sinopharm vaccines earlier this month.

Sinopharm conducted tests of the vaccine in the country last year, as part of China’s global vaccine diplomacy efforts, and Morocco said it plans to eventually produce the vaccine locally.

The mass vaccination operation will include 2,888 vaccination posts and the deployment of mobile units in factories, offices, campuses and prisons. The health ministry said it would mobilize more than 12,000 medical professionals as well as the military.

Meanwhile, Morocco is one of 92 low- and middle-income countries supported by COVAX, an international effort to ensure vaccine supplies reach developing countries, but which has stalled and has yet to start to fall. provide vaccines, according to the World Health Organization.