King Mohammed VI Kicks Off Morocco's Virus Vaccination Drive

Arab World

January 28th, 7:56pm

Asharq Al-Awsat

Morocco's King Mohammed VI receives a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at the Royal Palace in Fez, Morocco as he inaugurates Morocco's national coronavirus vaccination campaign. MAP

Morocco's King Mohammed VI received a shot against the coronavirus Thursday to officially kick off his country's national COVID-19 vaccination campaign. The monarch took the shot at the royal palace in the city of Fez, the official MAP news agency reported. Morocco received its first shipments of vaccine doses in recent days from China’s Sinopharm and Anglo-Swedish AstraZeneca. The royal palace said the country has sufficient quantities to start inoculations “in the best conditions." The vaccination campaign will primarily target health care workers, security forces and people over age 75. But the palace said vaccinations would be available to all Moroccans over the age of 17 and will be free of charge. The Health Ministry said patients would receive two doses over 21 days. Morocco says it will get 66 million vaccine doses, covering about 80% of its 35 million population. By Wednesday, the country had recorded 468,383 coronavirus cases, including 8,207 deaths, with 13,995 cases still active. Morocco approved emergency use of the AstraZeneca and Sinopharm vaccines earlier this month. Sinopharm carried out tests of the vaccine in the country last year, as part of China's global vaccine diplomacy efforts, and Morocco says it eventually plans to produce the Sinopharm jab locally. The mass immunization operation will include 2,888 vaccination stations and the deployment of mobile units to factories, offices, campuses and prisons. The health ministry said it would mobilize over 12,000 health professionals as well as the military.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2771331/king-mohammed-vi-kicks-moroccos-virus-vaccination-drive