RIYADH — The Ministry of Health official spokesman Dr. Muhammad Al-Abdel Ali emphasized that some high-risk groups are in need of a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, especially those who have immune disorders. He also added that the third dose would be given to those who have been exposed to organ transplants and those who have chronic kidney disease. The spokesman, in a press conference here on Sunday, confirmed the importance of completing vaccinations to prevent long-term COVID-19 problems, as it is considered more severe in its complications. He said that from 10 to 30 percent of the recovered cases, it has been noted that their symptoms persist for a long period after recovery. The spokesperson also announced that the Mu variant was recently detected, but world health bodies have not expressed concerns about it or revealed any effects yet. The coronavirus vaccine has not been approved for children under 12 years old yet, and the possibility of giving them the vaccine is still under study, he added. The spokesman explained that the coronavirus is still spreading around the world and cases are still increasing as the number of infections worldwide has reached more than 221 million cases. Dr. Al-Abdel Ali, at the conference, confirmed that Saudi Arabia has witnessed a downward curve at the weekly infection map and the epidemiological indices of coronavirus cases is moving towards a positive direction. The Kingdom revealed 120 new infections recorded over the past 24 hours after continuing to slide in the last four weeks from the 500-mark, bringing the total number of confirmed infections in the Kingdom to 545,243. "It is important to continue taking all vaccine doses, even for those who have recovered from the virus, while continuing to adhere to the precautionary measures," he said. Saudi Arabia has administered 38 million doses of the vaccines till date since the start of vaccination.
