Algeria starts COVID-19 vaccination campaign

By Hassan Jebril

ALGIERS (AA) – Algeria has started its vaccination campaign against the coronavirus pandemic on Saturday, according to local media.

State-run television aired images of a health worker being vaccinated in the southern Blida province, an epicenter of the COVID-19 virus.

“Blida was chosen in a symbol move at the start of the vaccination campaign since the province was the first epicenter of the pandemic last March,” Health Minister Abderrahmane Benbouzid told a press conference.

Jamal Fourar, the head of the anti-virus national committee, said the months-long vaccination campaign aims to vaccinate around 80% of the country’s 44 million population.

On Friday, Algeria received the first batch of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine. The North African nation is also expected to receive shipments from China’s Sinovac and British AstraZeneca vaccines.

Algeria has so far recorded 106,887 virus cases, including 2,884 fatalities.

*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara