Saudi Arabia begins inoculating with Pfizer vaccines

Riyadh

SAUDI Arabia began inoculating people in the kingdom with a Covid-19 vaccine on Thursday, becoming the first Arab country to roll out the Pfizer-BioNTech jab. Saudi Arabia received two shipments of the vaccine on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, health authorities asked citizens and residents to register to receive the vaccine, which they said would be given free to all in the country.

The kingdom has reported around 360,000 Covid-19 cases with 6,080 deaths since the start of the pandemic. Although it began lifting restrictions several months ago, the country has so far avoided a new wave of infections. Health Minister Tawfiq al-Rabiah was one of the first people to receive the vaccine, rolling up his sleeve to receive the inoculation in front of the media. "Today marks the start of relief to this crisis," he told reporters at a vaccination centre with more than 550 inoculation stations in Riyadh. Vaccination stations will be set up throughout the kingdom, he said.

Saudi Arabia earlier this week asked citizens and residents to sign up for its vaccination programme. Citizens and foreign residents lined up to receive the vaccine on Thursday morning, as part of the phase one rollout which includes those most exposed and vulnerable to the disease. REUTERS