Third vaccine: Bahrain approves emergency use of Oxford jab

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MANAMA: Bahrain has approved a third vaccine for Covid-19.

The National Health Regulatory Authority yesterday approved the emergency use of Covishield vaccine developed by AstraZeneca in co-operation with Oxford University and manufactured by Serum Institute of India.

NHRA chief executive Dr Mariam Al Jalahma said the approval follows an in-depth study. She noted that the authority approved the emergency use licence in co-ordination with the manufacturer because it applies quality control procedures and vaccine safety and effectiveness.

To date, Bahrain has vaccinated around 150,000 individuals since December 17, with a million doses being ordered from Chinese Sinopharm and Pfizer-BioNTech.

The country offers free vaccine to its population with a choice of the available two, although supplies of Pfizer-BioNTech have been disrupted, as reported in the GDN. A vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson is also under consideration.

Health authorities have said vaccines will soon be administered through private healthcare facilities and major private hospitals have been asked for their readiness to stock and deliver them.

Once rolled out, patients who wish to get the vaccine immediately rather than wait for an appointment as part of the national rollout, will be able to do so by paying a ‘minimum service fee’. The current system of free vaccinations will continue for those who register on the ministry’s website and wait to be contacted.

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