AMMAN — Saudi Arabia’s exclusion of China’s Sinopharm, from its list of eligible COVID-19,
vaccines continues to stand in the way of Jordanians hoping to visit the
kingdom.
اضافة اعلان
The Sinopharm vaccine, approved by
the
World Health Organization, has been widely distributed in Jordan.
Amal Mohammad, a 54 year-old mother was
planning to visit Saudi Arabia to see her son, told
Jordan News: "I
have already taken the Sinopharm vaccine. Back when I took it, I did not know
that Saudi Arabia had not approved it.”
She continued: “Had I known, I would
not have taken it, especially because I used to visit (Saudi Arabia) twice a
year before the pandemic."
The exclusion of Sinopharm also
comes as another blow to travel agents.
In June, Saudi Arabia set the cap
for pilgrims allowed to perform Hajj this year at 60,000, all of whom must be
residents of the Arab Gulf country and have received the COVID-19 vaccine.
"The Ministry of Foreign
Affairs contacts its Saudi counterpart on a daily basis to find the most viable
solution," said a government source in remarks to
Jordan News.
"We hope to arrive a solution that
satisfies all parties soon, especially because the two countries have shared
strong fraternal relations for such a long time,” the source added.
The Ministry of Health’s Secretary
General for Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases and the official in charge
of the coronavirus file, Adel Belbeisi, said recently in media statements that
those who were previously given the Sinopharm vaccine and wish to travel to
Saudi Arabia will be given another vaccine recognized there, adding that
studies are ongoing to understand the effects of mixing two different
vaccines.
Belbisi's statement garnered
responses from prospective travelers to Saudi Arabia and physicians, some of
whom expressed their concern about the uncertainty surrounding the combining of
COVID vaccines.
"Those vaccines are still new. We
are still not sure about their components. Personally I do not prefer mixing
vaccines, especially because some bodies may experience complications when
mixing vaccines," said Isaac Tawil, a veteran cardiologist at the Royal
Medical Services.
"Some of my patients felt
really tired after taking a jab of a certain vaccine," Tawil explained.
"How might they fair if they take another
jab of another vaccine? I guess that the decision to mix vaccines should apply
only to certain people of certain ages, and whose bodies are healthy and can
tolerate mixing two different kinds of vaccines," he elaborated.
Health Minister Firas Hawari, announced last
week that Jordan will launch a platform for citizens who have taken vaccines
that are not recognized by other countries, pending a solution.
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