Saudi Arabia Vaccination Drive: 85-Year-Old King Salman Gets Pfizer Shot

The vaccination programme in the country has been rolled out in three phases, starting with people over 65 and those with chronic ailments or at high risk of infection.

Image: AFP

Saudi Arabia Vaccination: After Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Thursday received a Covid-19 vaccine jab, more than three weeks after the kingdom kicked off a three-phase inoculation programme, official media said. King Salman, 85, "received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine," in the futuristic Red Sea city of Neom, news agency AFP quoted the Saudi Press Agency. Also Read: Biden Welcomes Trump Announcement To Not Attend Inauguration Ceremony, Says 'Good Thing' The king can be seen in official pictures receiving the jab. Saudi Arabia launched its coronavirus vaccination campaign on December 17 after receiving the first shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The health ministry said the programme would roll out in three phases, starting with people over 65 and those with chronic ailments or at high risk of infection. Those over 50 years of age would be vaccinated next, with everyone else included in the third stage, and the vaccine would be free for citizens and residents as per the ministry statement. The ministry confirmed the safety and efficacy of the vaccine after the effective passage of the vaccine testing phases, and the successful tests showed its strong immune response and antibodies in those who received trial shots. Saudi Arabia has recorded more than 363,000 novel coronavirus cases, including more than 6,000 deaths -- the highest among the Gulf Arab states. But the kingdom has also reported a high recovery rate. Saudi Arabia has a population of more than 34 million, according to official figures.