BAHRAIN is stepping up its national vaccination campaign against the coronavirus (Covid-19), with buses on the road offering free jabs to citizens and residents.
The GDN has learned that the Health Ministry’s buses are providing vaccines and booster shots every day between 3pm and 6pm.
One or two buses are stationed at various locations in Bahrain – on Tuesday, it was near the American Mission Hospital in Manama, and yesterday people were seen queuing up at Nuwaidrat.
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However, no official announcement in this regard has been made by the authorities yet.
Residents who benefited from the initiative confirmed to the GDN that the vehicles have been on the streets for a week.
An Indian social worker, Fazl Ul Haq, claimed on social media on Sunday that the buses also provided vaccinations to people who did not have proper residency documents.
“These buses provide free vaccines and booster shots to all – whether it’s the first jab or others,” Mr Haq explained in a YouTube video.
“If you are unable to receive the vaccination for any reason – whether it is due to a lack of a passport or CPR – please go to these buses and get your doses.
“Don’t forget to bring copies of any relevant documents you have,” he reminded, adding that the buses run through one or two locations every afternoon.
“This is a very good step by the authorities – an effective measure to combat the virus’ spread in the community.
“Let us work with the ministry and the government to do our part to help stop the spread,” he added, thanking the country’s leadership for the thoughtful gesture.
A Bahraini man who received his fourth jab yesterday from one of the buses in Nuwaidrat told the GDN that the process was ‘smooth and organised’.
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“The blue bus appears to have been converted from a mobile testing unit to a vaccination facility,” said Ahmed Al Fardan.
“There were five Health Ministry staff inside the bus.
“Only two people were allowed to enter at a time. I took my fourth Covid shot – after three Sinopharm jabs and it was smooth, quick and well organised.”
Bahrain recently approved a second booster shot for people over the age of 18 who have already received three doses of the Sinopharm vaccine; they can choose between Sinopharm and Pfizer-BioNTech.
The country has been fighting the virus successfully with its TTT policy – Trace, Test, and Treat – which tracks infected people and their contacts, thereby aiding in curbing the virus’ spread.
Among the various proactive measures taken by the kingdom during the pandemic were the establishment of the Covid-19 hotline 444, the BeAware mobile application, the conversion of the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre into an integrated Covid-19 centre, mobile testing units and drive-through facilities, and random community screening. More than 30 vaccination centres have also been offering walk-in jabs.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has praised Team Bahrain’s ‘smart strategies and plans’ in fighting the pandemic, with the Public Health Laboratory praised for identifying up to 90 per cent of ‘potentially positive’ coronavirus cases.
WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office director Dr Ahmed Al Mandhari praised Bahrain for handling the crisis ‘ably and appropriately.”
All the initiatives have helped the kingdom emerge as a global leader, with the most recent honour of having administered the most Covid-19 booster shots per 100 people.
The GDN reported yesterday that according to the scientific online publication ‘Our World in Data,’ the distribution rate of the third vaccine jab in the kingdom is 46.82 as of Monday.
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