Bahrain's ambitious vaccination plan

MANAMA: Bahrain will increase its vaccination capacity to 31,000 shots a day as part of an ambitious plan to tackle the current spike in Covid-19 cases.

The country also aims to acquire 4.5 million doses of approved vaccines to offer people choices and ensure its rollout targets are met to keep citizens and residents safe during the latest pandemic storm and beyond.

The move follows directives of the government executive committee headed by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince Prime Minister, Health Minister Faeqa Al Saleh said in a statement yesterday.

The vaccines will be administered through 31 facilities – 27 primary healthcare centres, Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre, Sitra Mall, King Hamad University Hospital and the BDF Hospital.

“Bahrain was one of the first countries globally to order vaccines in August 2020 and has provided the jabs to all, free of cost,” Ms Al Saleh said.

Bahrain's ambitious vaccination plan

She urged citizens and residents to register for a vaccine and a booster shot via the ministry’s website healthalertgov.bh so that the country can ‘achieve herd immunity and protection’.

“All vaccines approved in Bahrain are safe and effective against the virus and its variants and reduce severity of symptoms,” Ms Al Saleh added.

The major vaccination push comes as Bahrain is witnessing an unprecedented number of Covid-19 cases and fatalities.

The new plan would see Bahrain administering close to a million jabs in a month.

Earlier, Bahrain announced that half a million people had received both doses of a Covid-19 vaccine and completed the two-week period after the second dose for immunity development. Subsequently, the country also rolled out Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for 12- to 17-year-olds.

Source: https://www.zawya.com/mena/en/life/story/Bahrains_ambitious_vaccination_plan-SNG_213478772/