RIYADH — Dr. Abdullah Asiri, assistant deputy minister of health for preventive health, urged those who have yet to take their second dose of vaccine against coronavirus to come forward to receive the jabs at the earliest, saying that it is the only way to confront the mutated variants of coronavirus. In a statement on his Twitter account on Monday, Dr. Asiri criticized those who are still hesitant to receive COVID-19 vaccine shots. "There is no one left in the trench of those who refuse to receive coronavirus vaccine except those who are deceived or arrogant," he rebuked. While referring to the unfounded reports being circulated with regard to vaccination, the ministry official said: "If the goal of vaccines was to exterminate the poor, as they claim, then why did the rich countries monopolize it, leaving Africa to struggle with coronavirus? "Why did scholars, rich people, politicians and leaders race for vaccination? Only deceived or arrogant people are left now in the trench of rejection," he said. Dr. Asiri stressed the importance of taking the second dose of vaccine without delay. "This the only way to confront the mutants of coronavirus, as well as to raise the level of immunity and thus achieving herd immunity," he said.
