RIYADH — The Ministry of Health (MoH) reiterated that the Delta variant of coronavirus is faster and more dangerous than other mutated variants, and it is important to quickly obtain two doses of the approved vaccines to achieve immunity against it. Dr. Muhammad Al-Abdel Ali, spokesman of the ministry, said that administering a single dose or recovery from COVID-19 infection are not sufficient to achieve immunity against the virus. Addressing the daily press conference to brief on the latest coronavirus developments, the spokesman said there is no problem in taking the vaccine unless one is excessively and severely allergic to it. Abdel Ali said that the vaccine protects pregnant women from serious symptoms if she is infected with the coronavirus. "Around 98 percent of infected pregnant women in intensive care units are unvaccinated. Studies have proven the safety of the coronavirus vaccine for pregnant mother and the fetus." The spokesman said that more than 27 million doses of coronavirus vaccine have so far been given in the Kingdom and the vaccination is still underway. He reminded that adherence to precautionary measures and receiving the vaccine are two important factors to overcome the pandemic. The Ministry of Health announced on Sunday that exemptions from receiving vaccines will be given only on valid medical grounds. It said in a statement that medical exemptions will be based on medical reports and this will be only for those having medically proven hypersensitivity to COVID-19 vaccines or one of the vaccine components. The ministry urged everyone to complete two doses of the vaccine to combat coronavirus. It also stressed the importance of adhering to precautionary measures and preventive protocols to stem the spread of the virus. The ministry asked to communicate with its Contact Center over toll-free number 937 around the clock, to obtain health information and services, and to know the developments pertaining to coronavirus.
