Saudi Arabia to provide free COVID-19 vaccines in pharmacies: Health minister

Saudi Arabia to provide free COVID-19 vaccines in pharmacies: Health minister
March 3, 2021, 11:40 am

Saudi Arabia will provide coronavirus vaccines in pharmacies around the Kingdom for free, the country’s Minister of Health Dr. Tawfik al-Rabiah told Al Arabiya on Wednesday.

This comes as part of efforts to expand the ongoing inoculation campaign and facilitate access to vaccine cites, he added.

Over 100 vaccine centers have opened around the country since Saudi Arabia began its nationwide vaccination campaign on December 17, the ministry said on Tuesday.

A Saudi woman waits to get a dose of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine, in Riyadh. (Reuters)

Several universities across Saudi Arabia are preparing to open coronavirus vaccination centers as part of efforts to support the Kingdom’s inoculation drive, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported last week

Vaccines will be available at the universities for faculty members and their family members, as well as the general public.

The doses will be given to people according to priority and age group, and as per the approved electronic systems.

Citizens and expatriates who have valid national IDs and residency permits are illegible to receive the vaccines and can register to receive the dose on the “Sehaty” application.

The ministry has urged all members of the public to register for one of the vaccines, if they meet the health requirements to receive a dose, and assured them that there have been no reports of side effects.

Saudi Arabia has so far reported 378,002 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 6,505 COVID-19 deaths.