Coronavirus vaccination campaign kicks off in Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has started a three-phase COVID-19 campaign on Thursday.
Saudi health minister Tawfiq al-Rabiah received a vaccine dose, according to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
“This campaign is the largest vaccination operation in the Kingdom. The vaccine against coronavirus is safe and will not be compulsory but optional,” Al-Riyadh daily quoted Al-Rabiah.
معالي وزير الصحة يتلقى لقاح كورونا (كوفيد-19). pic.twitter.com/LsgJ0g79YW
— وزارة الصحة السعودية (@SaudiMOH) December 17, 2020
The first shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine had arrived in the kingdom on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabian authorities have asked citizens to register to be vaccinated via a mobile application.
As being reported, more than 150,000 people registered in just 24 hours.
In KSA citizens aged 65 and above, professionals at higher risks of COVID-19 exposure, as well as people with immune deficiency and chronic disease, will be the first recipients of the vaccine.