RAMALLAH, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Thursday received the first shipment of Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine, a Palestinian minister confirmed.

Hussein al-Sheikh, Palestinian minister of civil affairs, said in a statement that the shipment of the Russian vaccine includes 10,000 doses, donated by Russia.

Last month, Palestine became the first Mideast country to officially register the vaccine. It was registered under the emergency use authorization procedure without additional clinical trials in the country.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Minister of Health Mai al-Kaila also confirmed that her ministry received on Thursday 10,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine.

"The shipment of the vaccines will be enough to vaccinate 5,000 people," she said, adding that priority in the vaccination will be for medical staff, the elderly, and people with chronic diseases.

Al-Kaila said the vaccination will take place in about 45 centers throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

She said Palestine will also purchase 2 million doses of vaccines that are expected to arrive in Palestine between Feb. 14 and Feb. 20.

She added that donations from friendly countries, institutions supporting the Palestinian people, and Palestinian communities abroad are also expected here in the near future.

On Tuesday, Palestine launched a COVID-19 vaccination campaign after the delivery of 2,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine from Israel. The country's medical personnel treating coronavirus patients and working in intensive care units received the first shots.

Since the outbreak of coronavirus in the Palestinian territories in March last year, it has claimed the lives of 2,050 Palestinians in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)