Manama: Bahrain has launched mobile COVID-19 units providing home vaccinations for the elderly and people with special needs, it has been revealed.
According to official news agency BNA, the service is the first of its kind in the GCC region and is offered by medical teams. They will make home visits to provide the jabs to those unable to attend the vaccination centres.
The new initiative was rolled-out under the directives of the country’s Executive Committee, headed by Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, BNA added.
This will be available to people who registered for the vaccine at Health Ministry’s website or its official BeAware smartphone application. Then, a member of the group will contact the needy person to schedule the home visit.
The Health Ministry said it compile needs of the elderly and those with special needs.
Said to be the first in the world, Bahrain had reportedly become the very first country in the world to allow vaccine appointments via a mobile app. Also, Bahrain had the second-highest vaccination rate in the world, with a reported rate of 3.49 vaccination doses per 100 individuals.
Last month, Bahrain began vaccinations against coronavirus with Chinese made Sinopharm. The campaign aims to vaccinate a total of 15 lakh people including citizens and expats. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was introduced later on in the month as a second choice.
The Kingdom aims to vaccinate around 15 lakhs people for free of coast. More than 1 lakh individuals have received at least one dose from one of 27 health centres, King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH) and the mobile vaccination units.
Meanwhile, Bahrain is planning to procure vaccines from two more manufacturers as the country hopes to inoculate as many of its population as possible before the end of March. The National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) said the authority is securing documents of vaccines from Oxford’s AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson for review.
