RIYADH — Saudi Arabia's Deputy Minister of Health for Preventive Affairs Dr. Abdullah Al-Asiri said that the coronavirus vaccine will be available free of charge to all in the Kingdom. "Saudi Arabia is obtaining vaccines for public health purposes and therefore it has not included them in the list of products that are chargeable," he said while speaking to Al-Ekhbariya television. Al-Asiri hoped that the coronavirus vaccines would be made available to 70 percent of the Kingdom's population by the end of 2021. "Most of the coronavirus vaccines are administered twice, except one. Children under 16 years of age will be excluded from receiving the vaccine at this stage," he added. Earlier, Al-Asiri noted that Saudi Arabia will be one of the first countries in the G20 and around the world to obtain good quantities of safe and effective vaccines to combat coronavirus. Meanwhile, Assistant Minister of Health and the Ministry Spokesman Dr. Mohamed Al-Abdel Ali said on Monday that Saudi Arabia will receive delivery of those vaccines that must fulfill a number of specific conditions. The vaccine must be effective, safe, and approved by the concerned authorities, he said. Al-Abdel Ali confirmed that critical cases of coronavirus decreased by 6.3 percent during the last week. He stressed the need to strictly adhere to the precautionary measures and preventive protocols issued by the competent authorities.
