Refugees receive free COVID-19 vaccine in Jordan

By Peter Kenny

GENEVA (AA) - Jordan has become one of the world’s first countries to start COVID-19 vaccinations for refugees, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on Thursday.

Raia Alkabasi, an Iraqi refugee living in Jordan’s northern city of Irbid, was the first UNHCR-registered refugee in the country to receive the vaccine at the Irbid Vaccination Clinic Thursday.

Jordan’s Health Ministry is administering the vaccine, and refugees, most of whom live among the local population, will be entitled to receive the vaccine free of charge.

As part of Jordan’s national COVID-19 vaccination plan, which began this week, anyone living in the country, including refugees and asylum seekers, is entitled to receive the vaccine free of charge.

“Once again, Jordan has shown exemplary leadership and solidarity in hosting refugees,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

“The country has included refugees in every aspect of the public health response to the pandemic, including the national vaccination campaign, proving how it should be done if we are to keep everyone safe.”

UN Refugee Agency spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo told Anadolu Agency that the latest data shows 752,193 UNHCR registered refugees and asylum seekers in Jordan.

Most of them (88%) are Syrians, followed by Iraqis, Yemenis, Sudanese, Somalis, and others.

The number does not include Palestinian refugees in Jordan, covered by the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

Grandi appealed to all countries to follow Jordan and include refugees in their vaccination drives on par with nationals and in line with COVAX allocation principles that aim to accelerate the development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines.

UNHCR said it is aware that of the 78 countries currently developing national COVID-19 vaccination strategies, half (39) have committed to include refugees.

Low to middle-income countries have been identified as priority countries for support.

“The vast majority of the world’s refugees are hosted in low and middle-income countries. Global and equitable access is what will ultimately protect lives and stem the pandemic,” Grandi said.

Close cooperation between UNHCR and the Jordanian Health Ministry and the strong adherence of refugees to prevention measures have limited the spread of the virus among these vulnerable populations.

Since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed among refugees in Jordan in September last year, 1,928 refugees living in refugee camps have tested positive for the virus, said UNHCR.

The proportion of refugees with COVID-19 has also remained low at 1.6% compared to 3% among the general Jordanian population.

While UNHCR is not procuring vaccines -- as this remains the prerogative and responsibility of governments -- it supports refugee host countries through other preparedness and response interventions.​​​​​​​