Lebanon received the first doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19 on Saturday, February 13, on the eve of the start of vaccinations in the country in crisis where the hospital sector is under severe strain.
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The Minister of Health, Hamad Hassan, was at Beirut airport to receive the 28,500 doses that arrived from Belgium.
"
This dream has come true thanks to the support of our international partners
," he said with satisfaction.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the World Bank (WB) have announced that they will “
independently
”
oversee
the storage and distribution of the first vaccines covered by WB funding.
"
The vaccine will reach all Lebanese citizens throughout the country,
" Hamad Hassan insisted.
“
Syrian and Palestinian refugees
” will also have access.
Six million doses very soon
The country of some six million people, including more than one million Syrian and Palestinian refugees, is expecting two million doses of Pfizer / BioNTech vaccines, which will gradually arrive in the coming weeks.
The first phase of vaccinations will concern medical personnel and those over 75 years old.
It will begin Sunday with the medical staff of three hospitals in Beirut, including Rafic Hariri hospital, the main public establishment mobilized against the pandemic.
"
The best gift one can ask for for Valentine's Day,
" said Firass Abiad, the director of this hospital, on Twitter.
The resigning Prime Minister Hassan Diab, 61, should also be vaccinated on Sunday, according to his services.
Half a million people have registered on the online platform for vaccination, according to the ministry.
According to a poll published in early February by a private institute, Information International, 38% of the 500 people questioned do not want to be vaccinated, while 31% want it and 31% are undecided.
Lebanon intends to obtain a total of some six million doses, including 2.7 million as part of the international Covax platform launched to help the most disadvantaged countries.
Lebanon has officially recorded 334,086 cases of Covid-19, including 3,915 deaths, since the start of the pandemic.
The country has seen a surge in cases due to the relaxation of restrictions during the holiday season and the spread of more contagious variants.
