Mix-and-match approach approved and safe to use, says Saudi Health Ministry

In a press conference on Sunday, Health Ministry spokesman Dr. Mohammed Al-Abd Al-Aly reaffirmed the safety and efficacy of vaccines and said the mix-and-match approach could elicit a stronger and longer lasting response than two doses of one vaccine. “The mixing and matching of the approved vaccines in the Kingdom (AstraZeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna) have proven safe to administer for beneficiaries and (according to) several studies have proven effective in the face of COVID-19 variants, especially the widespread delta variant that continues to pose a threat,” said Al-Aly.

“The most important thing is to receive the second dose in the right time frame in order to boost personal immunity and increase herd immunity, which will protect the community against variants, especially the delta variant,” he said.

Saudi Arabia reported 208 cases in the Kingdom on Sunday, raising the total number of cases to 544,004. The last time the Kingdom reported cases near Sunday’s numbers was Jan. 20 of this year.

Riyadh reported 69 cases, Makkah 36 and the Eastern Province 22. Both the Northern Borders and Jouf regions reported two cases each and Baha reported only one case.

The authorities reported 393 new recoveries, raising the total number of those who have recovered since the beginning of the pandemic to 532,126 cases.

“The decline is due to the public’s adherence to precautionary measures and protocols, as well as registering for the vaccine and completing both doses,” said Al-Aly.

There were six new COVID-19-related deaths, bringing the death toll over the course of the pandemic to 8,532.

More than 36.3 million vaccine doses have been administered in the Kingdom so far at a rate of 314,901 doses each day. More than 50,000 PCR tests have been conducted in the past 24 hours, raising the total number of tests conducted so far to more than 27.3 million.

Despite the decline in confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Kingdom, Saudi authorities warn both establishments and citizens to remain vigilant and adhere to protocols.

Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development spokesman Saad Al-Hammad announced that 735,000 field inspections have been conducted since the beginning of the year, which resulted in registering 8,945 violations in establishments, 57,864 warnings and 10,465 violations registered against individuals in private establishments.

He said stated that 97 percent of government sector workers have completed their inoculations and 96 percent of private sector workers have also completed their doses. “This is an important indicator that there is a heightened level of awareness amongst workers,” he said.