Mass vaccination campaign against coronavirus kicks off in Palestine

RAMALLAH - Palestine on Sunday launched a mass vaccination rollout campaign against coronavirus in a bid to combat the fast-spreading virus across the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye started the campaign in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

"The vaccination rollout will be carried out with full transparency, and anyone exceeding priorities regarding inoculating the vaccines will be held accountable," Ishtaye said at a press conference held in Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah.

"Vaccination will be conducted according to the registration platform," he said.

Ishtaye added that Palestine is set to receive more vaccines, including a shipment of 100,000 doses of coronavirus vaccines from China.

On Wednesday, Palestine received the first batch of the coronavirus vaccine from the global COVAX program, which has some 62,000 doses, including 38,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and 24,000 of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

COVAX is a global initiative aimed at equitable access to coronavirus vaccines, co-led by the World Health Organization and its partners.

Meanwhile, Mai al-Kaila, the Palestinian health minister, said that launching the national vaccine campaign against coronavirus "is a new promising stage that requires everyone's efforts to reach the required immunity".

"The health ministry has completed all technical and logistical arrangements related to launching the campaign, which will proceed according to a gradual plan," she said.

On Sunday, Palestine recorded 2,247 new coronavirus cases, 21 deaths and 1,753 recoveries in 24 hours, according to the Health Ministry.

Currently, 198 coronavirus patients remain in intensive care units, the ministry said.