West Bank: Day 1 of the anti-Covid vaccination campaign for the Palestinian population
Audio 01:24
After months of waiting, Palestinians in the occupied West Bank begin their vaccination campaign this Sunday with the Pfizer and AstraZaneca vaccines.
Doses received as part of the Covax initiative, a World Health Organization program this week.
Here in the first vaccination center, at the Ministry of Health in Ramallah.
AFP - HAZEM BADER
Text by: RFI Follow
4 min
After months of waiting, Palestinians in the occupied West Bank begin their vaccination campaign this Sunday, March 21.
These are the Pfizer vaccine and AstraZeneca, doses received this week as part of the Covax initiative, a program of the World Health Organization.
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With our correspondent in Ramallah
,
Alice Froussard
Vaccination in the West Bank had already started with the first doses a few weeks ago, only for frontline medical staff, but vaccines were too few.
This time, medical staff continue to be vaccinated, as well as patients 75 years of age and older, and those with cancer or kidney disease.
All these people could register online for a week.
In front of the first vaccination center, at the Ministry of Health in Ramallah, there is a crowd in front of the doors.
Five nurses are inside with hydroalcoholic gel for everyone.
The officials take the patient's ID cards by the dozen and call people one after the other.
Space is tiny, but everything goes really fast.
Rania, in nursing school, waits her turn.
She registered online and at 21, she is the youngest patient to date: “
We saw how the pandemic has seriously affected the world, how everything has changed, so it's better for everyone to be vaccinated.
When we can be vaccinated, we do it.
"
A very high hospital occupancy rate
Next to her in the queue is a surgeon from the public hospital, accompanied by his wife who is a nurse: “
We registered on the site, but I am a doctor, so we have priority on the site. vaccination.
I didn't have to wait too long.
You know, the vaccine just arrived.
We had the coronavirus four months ago.
When it's been over six months you can be vaccinated, so we only need one dose.
"
Dr Mahdi Rasekh, director of health affairs for Ramallah governorate, says the first day is stressful, but the bottom line is that the vaccination has started.
“
The occupancy rate of hospitals is very high.
Along with the vaccine, this will reduce the number of cases that need to be hospitalized.
And we hope to protect the population!
», He emphasizes.
At the moment, there is only one vaccination center in Ramallah, two or three more will open this week.
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Listen: The vaccination campaign for Palestinian workers in Israel has just started
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Palestinian territories
Coronavirus
Vaccines
Health and medicine
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