WHO plans to vaccinate 20 percent of Syrians with Coronavirus vaccine
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – On Tuesday, a World Health Organization official said that they intend to vaccinate 20% of the Syrians with coronavirus vaccine by the end of 2021.
“There are two routes through which vaccines will be airlifted to Syria,” said Dr. Akjemal Magtymova, head of Mission and WHO Representative to Syria.
Magtymova stated that the first route would pass through Damascus, “and it would cover the government-held areas and the Kurdish-held areas, and the second would be through the Turkish border.”
Magtymova added that the northwest of the country will receive 224,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from India within few weeks.
She indicated that 912,000 doses will be allocated to the rest of Syria, and will arrive through Damascus, and will be distributed mainly to the health workers and the elderly.
It is expected that the vaccination campaign will start in April, according to WHO.
Syria’s Autonomous Administration had earlier expressed to North Press its concern about not obtaining coronavirus vaccine and its exploitation by the Syrian government.
WHO’s announcement comes amid a sharp escalation in infections in the government-held and the Autonomous Administration-held areas, while the opposition-controlled areas, recorded no infections for the second consecutive day in the opposition-held areas.