Saudi Arabia’s health ministry has begun registering citizens and foreign residents for vaccination against COVID-19, the state news agency reported on Tuesday. Citizens can register, through the ministry’s mobile application of Sehhaty (My Health).
A ministry statement cited by the official Saudi Press Agency news agency said the registration will be carried out on three stages, each targeting a specific group of citizens based on age, weight, immunity and chronic diseases.
The ministry stressed on the safety and effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, saying it has successfully passed all testing stages and contains a strong immune response against the virus.
The ministry confirmed the safety and efficacy of the vaccine after effective passage of the vaccine testing phases, and the successful tests showed its strong immune response and antibodies in those who received trial shots.
The program will commence in three phases, with the first targeting people over 65 and those with chronic diseases and low immunity. The first phase will also include people most exposed to the disease, such as health workers. The second and third stages will target those over 50 before the vaccine is made available to the wider public, SPA said.
It would also include those who have immunodeficiency, such as those who underwent organ transplantation or taking immunosuppressive drugs; those who suffer from two or more of the following chronic diseases: asthma, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, chronic heart disease including coronary artery disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and those with a history of previous stroke.
The target group in the second phase include citizens and expatriates who are over the age of 50; the remaining health practitioners, and those who have one of the following chronic diseases: asthma, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, chronic heart diseases including coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and active cancer and those who have obesity and have BMI between 30 – 40.
The targeted group in the third phase includes all citizens and expatriates who wish to receive the vaccine.
The Ministry of Health pointed out that this step comes as a continuation of the great efforts and proactive steps that the Kingdom has taken since the outbreak of the pandemic, and it had a vivid role in stemming the spread of the pandemic and safeguarding the health and safety of citizens and expatriates.
Saudi Arabia to Make Covid-19 Vaccine Available to Citizens and Residents Free of Charge
The ministry drew attention to the Kingdom’s previous announcement that it will be one of the first countries to receive vaccines that meet the criteria for efficacy and safety directly from the leading international companies involved in the vaccine industry and through the COVAX, which is a global initiative aimed at working with vaccine manufacturers.
There are 172 countries and multiple candidate vaccines engaged in COVID-19 vaccine Global Access Facility.
Recently, SFDA announced approving the registration of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, after the US firm Pfizer had applied to register the new vaccine, to allow the Saudi health authorities to import and use the new medication, Argaam reported.
