Afghanistan banks on vaccinations to curb virus spiral

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) – Amid an ongoing surge in coronavirus infections and deaths, Afghanistan is looking to ramp up vaccinations for vulnerable segments of the population, authorities said on Sunday.

Shots of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are now being administered in the country, just two days after 1.4 million doses of the vaccine arrived through the global vaccine-sharing COVAX initiative.

The elderly and people with chronic diseases will be given priority in the drive, along with health workers, school and university teachers and students, and journalists, ministry spokesperson Mirwais Alizai told Anadolu Agency.

A third COVID-19 wave that gripped Afghanistan in June has led to "an exponential increase in the number of cases, with an average of over 2,000 new cases and 100 deaths per day," according to a UNICEF statement issued on Friday to announce the arrival of the Johnson & Johnson jabs.

As the overall tally in the war-ravaged country nears 135,000, including almost 5,800 deaths, officials have voiced concern over a shortage of oxygen and the threat of the highly transmissible Delta variant.

After a gap of nearly a month as vaccines ran out, Afghanistan resumed vaccinations in mid-June after receiving a donation of 700,000 doses from China.

According to official figures, a little over 1 million vaccine doses have so far been administered in Afghanistan, a country of some 40 million people.

“Vaccination rates remain extremely low in Afghanistan, with less than 4% of the population vaccinated, and the virus continues to deeply affect the lives of the most vulnerable children and families across the country as they face the compounded impact of the pandemic, conflict and drought,” read the UNICEF statement.

This was the first of two shipments that are due to arrive in Afghanistan in July, bringing the total donation to around 3.3 million doses, the statement said.

- UAE bars Afghan passengers

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced that it will not allow any passengers from Afghanistan starting Sunday.

Entry for travelers and transit passengers from Indonesia and Afghanistan on national and foreign flights will be barred starting July 11, the official Emirates News Agency reported, citing authorities.

UAE citizens coming from Indonesia and Afghanistan will also not be allowed to enter, except for diplomatic personnel, medical treatment cases, official delegations, and previously authorized economic and scientific delegations, the report said.