Palestinians have received 100,000 doses of Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine donated by China to help broaden an initial campaign to vaccinate medical staff, the elderly, and the chronically ill.
Palestinian health authorities have been mounting a limited vaccination drive among the 5.2 million people living in the Israel-occupied West Bank and Gaza, using vaccines provided by Israel, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and the global Covax vaccine-sharing initiative.
After the arrival of the Chinese shipment, Palestinian Health minister Mai Al-Kaila said in the West Bank city of Ramallah that recent restrictions such as curfews and weekend lockdowns had helped to relieve pressure on crowded hospitals.
“We will continue (vaccinating) our medical staff in the clinics for the public sector and the private sector, dentists and pharmacists, (and) for other categories that have immediate contact with the population,” Kaila told Reuters.
