RIYADH – Deputy Minister of Health for Public Health Dr. Hani Jokhdar said that the Ministry of Health would replace the paper-based vaccination certificate with an electronic one within the coming three years.

Speaking to Okaz/Saudi Gazette, he said that the digital transformation plan regarding vaccination cards was ready as early as in December 2019, and the ministry had already started training health practitioners in this regard but the outbreak of the first and second waves of coronavirus pandemic was instrumental in postponing its processing.

Dr. Jokhdar said the ministry will dispense with paper vaccination certificates of children within two to three years as a maximum, and the vaccinations will be available electronically through the Sehhaty application.

He stressed that the Ministry of Health has completed preparations for Hajj this year.

“The two vaccines that are required annually for domestic pilgrims are those against seasonal influenza and meningitis, apart from the new addition of coronavirus vaccine.

The same vaccines are required for foreign pilgrims also, besides two additional vaccines for polio and yellow fever as far as for pilgrims from some countries are concerned,” he said.

He also noted that these vaccines are a prerequisite for the entry of pilgrims from these countries to the Kingdom for the purpose of Hajj.

Regarding the increase in daily cases of COVID-19, Dr. Jokhdar indicated that the increase in cases now would not affect the status of the health system in the provision of services.

He said that the percentage of those who took vaccination against the COVID-19 and those who took the third dose of the vaccine reached 80 percent.

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