MANAMA: Mobile vaccination units are being rolled out across the kingdom to protect the elderly and those with special needs against the Covid-19 virus, the Health Ministry announced last night.

The first-of-its-kind initiative in the region was launched under the directives of the Executive Committee, headed by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince Prime Minister.

Medical staff started visiting the homes of senior citizens and residents yesterday, with a focus on those with mobility challenges.

Mobile units will service all areas of the kingdom and will be dispatched based on applications received through the Health Ministry website and the BeAware mobile application.

The ministry said in its statement that “it monitors applications submitted through its website and determines needs of the elderly and people with special needs who registered to receive the vaccination.”

Applicants and their families will be contacted by a member of the mobile unit to schedule the home visit.

Bahrain started rolling out free vaccines to people as part of a national campaign on December 17 – and until last night more than 97,000 have been inoculated.

The shots are being administered from 27 health centres, King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH) and now, the mobile vaccination units.

Citizens and residents were initially given the China-made Sinopharm, the vaccine with which Bahrain had successfully conducted a phase three trial on 7,700 volunteers – and later Pfizer/BioNTech was also offered as a choice.

Both vaccines are being administered in two doses, with a 21-day gap between the first and second dose.

People wishing to take the vaccine are requested to register through options available on the ministry’s website, through the BeAware mobile application or call 444.

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