RIYADH — Dr. Muhammad Al-Abdel Ali, spokesman of the Ministry of Health, said that a total of 178,337 people have so far received doses of coronavirus vaccine. "Priority in vaccination is for the most vulnerable segments of the society and later this would expand to cover the entire members of the Saudi society. The Kingdom has made major headway in fighting the epidemic, and thus putting it among the best countries in resisting the pandemic," he said. Addressing the daily press briefing, he said that the confirmed cases continue to decrease by 98 percent. Saudi Arabia is among the countries that monitor more stability and decline in the number of the coronavirus cases, he said. Al-Abdel Ali stressed the importance of adhering to the precautionary measures for those who received the first or second dose, explaining that immunity reaches its highest levels two weeks after the second dose. The spokesman confirmed that no health problems were detected among those who received the vaccine, stating that the subsidence is more important than the extinction of the virus. To achieve subsidence, the members of the society have to achieve 100-percentage access to the vaccine. "We are in front of important phases in which we have achieved previous successes, current successes and successes that will be achieved in the future with vaccinations, and the vaccination centers are currently carrying out their duties," he said. He indicated that the immunity that occurs with the infection of the disease is not similar to the immunity achieved through vaccination. "Regarding immunity though vaccination, there are scientific studies and follow-up research for these cases, and the vaccine is safe, unlike the infection in which cases are critical," he added.
