Saudi Arabia approves use of Sinovac, Sinopharm COVID vaccine

Saudi Arabia has approved two more COVID-19 vaccines, Sinovan and Sinopharm, but after receiving a booster shot of either of the four vaccines approved by the Saudi Ministry of Health.

According to the details, the Saudi Ministry of Health says that “people who have taken two doses of the Chinese vaccine Sinopharm or Sinovac can enter the kingdom, but they must also take a booster dose approved by the country.

There are currently four approved vaccines in Saudi Arabia, including Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna.

Earlier, Saudi Arabia has allowed Pakistanis vaccinated with Chinese vaccine against the coronavirus (COVID-19) to enter the Kingdom.

However, authorities said, they will have to get a supporter shot of the Covid-19 vaccine commanded by Saudi Arabia upon arrival in the Kingdom.

Besides two doses of the Chinese vaccine, Pakistani nationals will be obligated to get a booster shot, the authorities said, adding the condition of a negative PCR test for all such travellers also remains in place.

The Kingdom has accepted four Covid vaccines, including Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson for emergency use.

Earlier, the Kingdom had issued a list of suggested vaccines, which does not contain vaccines mass-produced in China.

Most Pakistanis are being vaccinated with Chinese vaccines, including Sinopharm, Sinovac, and single-dose CanSino.

 Health Passport Introduced For Recipient of COVID-19 vaccine

In January 2021, Saudi Arabia’s Health Minister Dr Tawfig F. Al Rabiah has announced the launch of an online “health passport” for citizens and residents who have been vaccinated against COVD-19 for the second time.

The new “Health Passport” has been introduced by the Saudi Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA).

The head of Sadaya, Dr Abdullah Sharaf, told a joint news conference with the health minister on Thursday that “a person who receives a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will be automatically issued a health passport in a matter of seconds.

He said Saudi Arabia was the first country in the world to issue “health passports” as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

On the occasion, the Health Minister said that the health passport would help the authorities in identifying the vaccinators.

Tawakkalna, an app developed by SDAIA, has been approved by the Ministry of Health. The purpose of introducing the app was to monitor infected people to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Lockdown was imposed on the citizens when the pandemic was on emergence and during this time the movement of people was monitored through the Tawakkalna app.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s health minister, Dr Tawfig F. Al Rabiah, has been vaccinated for the second time with the Covid-19 vaccine.