바레인, 화이자 코로나19 백신 긴급사용 승인... 독일 "코로나19 백신 무료접종"
Just a couple of days after the UK approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, Bahrain also granted their emergency-use authorization to use the same vaccine.
And Germany is getting ready to provide free vaccines for citizens as soon as possible.
Choi Won-jong reports.
Bahrain said Friday that they had approved the emergency-use authorization of the COVID-19 vaccine for widespread use.
The approval made Bahrain the second country to grant their authorization for the vaccine from Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech.
Following the UK's approval on Wednesday, Bahrain's health authorities said those approved vaccines would be used for high-risk groups first in line.
According to AP news, however, the nation did not mention how many vaccines they have purchased,... nor when the vaccinations would begin.
In Germany, the nation will be giving out COVID-19 vaccinations free of charge.
In a briefing on Friday, Berlin's health ministry said the vaccination would be free, no matter whether and how someone is insured.
The government will be setting up hundreds of vaccination centers before the EMA grants the vaccine across European countries.
Their target in the first stage of vaccination, the authorities said, will be for elderly citizens and front-line health workers.
However, concerns continued to linger over the vaccination.
Due to a vocal protest movement against forced inoculation, the government plans to inform citizens to answer all questions related to the vaccine.
In the meantime, the World Health Organization is preparing to secure enough vaccines.
Its chief scientist said Friday that they hope to have half a billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine ready for distribution in the first quarter of next year.
She added that their goal is to have at least 2 billion doses by the end of 2021,... hoping to vaccinate 20-percent of the global population.
Choi Won-jong, Arirang News.
