Saudi Arabia studying ‘other vaccines’ for COVID-19

The first Saudi citizen receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine (Tozinameran) speaks to reporters after its administration at a vaccination centre supervised by the health ministry in the capital Riyadh on December 17, 2020. (File/AFP)
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  • More than 300,000 people were registered to be vaccinated as of Friday evening
  • Saudi Arabia is the second Gulf country to approve the use of the vaccine

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia was studying a number of other COVID-19 vaccines and may issue a licence for one other than Pfizer before the end of 2020, Al Arabiya reported on Saturday.

More than 300,000 people were registered to be vaccinated as of Friday evening, according to the Ministry of Health.

The ministry plans to establish vaccination centers in other cities and governorates, so that tens of thousands of vaccinations can be administered daily.

Free access to the vaccine for all citizens and residents was announced after a three phase testing of the vaccination, which showed a strong immune response and continuous antibodies.

Saudi Arabia is the second Gulf country to approve the use of the vaccine, which was developed by US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech, after Bahrain.