Corona … 3 Arab countries started vaccination and another which provided doses and a third category lacked funding

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain began immunizing their citizens with a Corona virus vaccine a few days ago, and other countries were able to obtain the first batch of vaccine doses, and a third batch countries announced that they will receive the first shipment of the vaccine in the coming months, while some Arab countries are experiencing financial difficulties in concluding contracts to import the vaccine.

Saudi Arabia on Thursday launched an expanded vaccination campaign against the Corona virus with the vaccine from the American company Pfizer and the German BioNTech, to be the first Arab country to use the vaccine from the two companies, and the minister of Health Tawfiq Al-Rabiah was among the first to receive the vaccine to reassure citizens and residents about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.

The health ministry said on Friday that more than 300,000 people in the Kingdom have so far signed up to receive the Corona vaccine.

Last Monday, the United Arab Emirates launched a vaccination campaign against the virus in the capital, Abu Dhabi, days after authorities officially registered the vaccine from Chinese company Sinopharm, and the United Arab Emirates were among the countries that hosted the third phase of clinical trials for the vaccine from Chinese company Elk Preliminary results of the experiments showed the vaccine’s efficacy of 86%.

Last Wednesday, Bahrain launched the vaccination campaign with the Sinopharm vaccine, after the Kingdom’s National Regulatory Authority for Health Professions and Services approved the registration of the “Covid-19” vaccine produced by the Chinese company and the King of Bahrain, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, received the vaccine on Wednesday.

A woman receives a dose of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine at a health facility in the Bahraini capital (Anatolia)

The second category

On the other hand, Egyptian Minister of Health Hala Zayed visited the United Arab Emirates on Thursday to discuss a plan to provide the vaccine against the virus, after Cairo received on the 10th of this month the first batch of the vaccine from the Chinese company Sinopharm from the UNITED ARAB EMIRATES.

In Sudan, Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok said his country had received 8.4 million doses of a vaccine against the “Covid-19” virus, adding that the amount would be allocated for vaccination “of the sectors most vulnerable to disease, in particular the medical sector. ”In addition, the date of the first vaccination operations has not been announced.

In Qatar, Prime Minister and Interior Minister Khalid bin Khalifa Al Thani said on Saturday that the first shipment of Corona virus vaccine will arrive in the country tomorrow, Monday.

On Wednesday, the medical director of Hamad General Hospital (government) Youssef Al-Maslamani said Qatari authorities had contracted with US companies Moderna and Pfizer to provide the vaccine, but he did not mention the number. vaccines that will arrive in the country. country.

Under the directives of His Highness the Amir, the first shipment of Covid 19 vaccine will arrive tomorrow, and I have ordered the health sector to provide it to all according to our health standards. This is an important step on the way to controlling the epidemic and gradually returning to normalcy, and expressing our pride in the success of our plan to fight the disease, we renew our thanks to our medical teams. and to all who are involved in it.

– Khalid bin Khalifa Al Thani (@KBKAlThani) December 19, 2020

In Algeria, the director of the National Health Security Agency, Kamal Sanhaji, said last Friday that his country would start distributing the vaccine against the Corona virus free of charge after a month, while leaving freedom to citizens to get vaccinated or not. The official added – in a statement to official Algerian radio – that the vaccination process will take place in batches, and that in the coming days, the vaccine that Algeria will acquire will be revealed.

While last Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration in Jordan granted emergency authorization to use the Pfizer-Biontech vaccine to combat the spread of the “Covid-19” epidemic, and the Foundation’s director general , Nizar Muhaidat, added that his organization is currently conducting a study to authorize the use of two other Jordan vaccines The doses of the Pfizer-Biontech vaccine will arrive in Jordan next February.

In Lebanon, acting Minister of Health Hamad Hassan said last Tuesday that the country should receive the first batch of Pfizer-Bionic vaccine after 8 weeks. The minister told Reuters last Monday that despite the severe currency shortage, the government plans to complete the deal within days.

Officials previously said Lebanon was in talks to obtain 1.5 million doses, and authorities in Beirut also signed an agreement to join the global “COVAX” initiative backed by the World Health Organization to provide vaccines for middle and poor countries.

Iraq and Palestine

As for the Iraqi authorities, they are waiting for the vaccineAn anti-Coronavirus will arrive in the country during the second quarter of 2021. He said The director of public health at the Ministry of Health and Environment, Riad Abdel-Amir Al-Halfi, said yesterday Friday that the authorities have reached an advanced stage in their discussions with Pfizer, and that an agreement is expected in the next few days to buy 1.5 million doses of the vaccine.

In the occupied Palestinian territories, Minister of Health Mai Al-Kaila said a few days ago that the National Authority could receive the first shipment of the vaccine by next March, but she did not specify its source. but the financial difficulties experienced by the authority. did not allow him to make a final deal to provide the virus vaccine.

Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh said on Thursday that “the completion of adequate quantities of vaccine that will allow us to immunize the masses will not be completed within a few months,” and the PA hopes to secure 20% of its needs of the Kovacs initiative immunization program.

Last Tuesday, the Sultanate of Oman authorized the import of the vaccine reached by Pfizer and Biontech, and before that, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health last Sunday authorized emergency use of the vaccine itself.