SHAFAQNA- The assistant deputy minister for preventive health of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Mufarrih Assiri, confirmed the reduction in deaths due to the Coronavirus after the first phase of vaccination.
He added: “Saudi Arabia has witnessed a decrease in deaths due to Covid 19 during 2020 and 2021 with an average of 74% in the age group of 20 to 90 years.”
The Saudi Deputy Minister of Health pointed out that the main reason for the high drop in deaths is the immunity of the first dose of the Corona vaccine.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Health Authority approved the mix-and-match approach for either the first or second dose of the vaccine after reviewing the findings of several medical studies that tested the safety and efficacy of administering doses from different brands.
The Saudi Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday that the National Committee for Infectious Diseases has approved the possibility of receiving the first and second doses of two different vaccines.
It also said that it will start giving the second dose of vaccines to people aged 50 years and above from Thursday, while it will continue to provide the first dose to those who have not yet received it. The ministry said other age groups will be eligible to receive the second dose of the vaccine according to availability as it seeks to cover the largest possible segment of the population during the next period.
The ministry also stressed: “The coronavirus immunity plan covers 70% of adults in Saudi Arabia, after exceeding the prescribed dose of 16.8 million doses.”
This news is translated by Shafaqna English.