BEIRUT (LEBANON) – Lebanon started its COVID-19 vaccination drive on Sunday by vaccinating the head of critical care at its biggest public hospital. It was then followed by 93-year-old celebrated Lebanese actor and comedian Salah Tizani.
Lebanon received 28,500 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Saturday, the first batch of 2.1 million doses set to arrive in stages throughout the year.
The World Bank, which helped fund the first batch of doses, has said it would closely look into the inoculation drive to make sure the shots go to those most in need.
Caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab told reporters at the Rafik Hariri hospital, which saw Lebanon’s first coronavirus case being made to follow a quarantine about a year ago. He said, “I will not be receiving the vaccine today, for today is not my turn and the priority is for the medical sector that has done its duty and presented big sacrifices.”
Tizani, who is better known by his stage name Abou Salim, urged everyone to get the vaccine.
“For those who are afraid to get vaccinated, I swear by God, it is protection for them,” he said.
The country has also ordered for 2.7 million doses through the COVAX scheme for poorer countries, which runs globally. Officials say that talks are in progress for some 1.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
About half of Lebanon’s population of more than six million, which includes at least a million Syrian refugees, would be covered under the total number of doses ordered so far.
Lebanon has been under a 24-hour curfew for nearly a month.
