Syria Begins COVID-19 Vaccinations with Healthcare Workers

A Syrian worker disinfects a street to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Damascus, Syria, August 3, 2020. (SANA via AP)
A Syrian worker disinfects a street to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Damascus, Syria, August 3, 2020. (SANA via AP)
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Syria Begins COVID-19 Vaccinations with Healthcare Workers

A Syrian worker disinfects a street to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Damascus, Syria, August 3, 2020. (SANA via AP)
A Syrian worker disinfects a street to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Damascus, Syria, August 3, 2020. (SANA via AP)

Syria’s health ministry said on Monday it had started administering COVID-19 vaccinations to frontline healthcare workers.

“For the second day in a row COVID-19 vaccinations are being given to frontline healthcare workers that are working within coronavirus isolation centers across governorates,” a ministry statement said.

The statement did not make clear what type of vaccine Syria had acquired or the quantity.

Syria had said on Thursday it had received vaccinations from a “friendly country” that it did not name.

Health officials had said Syria was engaged with Russia and China on vaccines but no bilateral deals have been announced.

The health ministry detected a rise in infections recently, the statement said.

Syria had recorded 15,588 coronavirus cases with 1,027 deaths up to Sunday.



Israeli Military Denies Strike on Gaza Vaccination Clinic

Palestinians fill containers with clean water in the midst of the devastation in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on November 3, 2024. (AFP)
Palestinians fill containers with clean water in the midst of the devastation in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on November 3, 2024. (AFP)
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Israeli Military Denies Strike on Gaza Vaccination Clinic

Palestinians fill containers with clean water in the midst of the devastation in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on November 3, 2024. (AFP)
Palestinians fill containers with clean water in the midst of the devastation in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on November 3, 2024. (AFP)

The Israeli military denied on Monday that it had hit a clinic in the northern Gaza Strip where health workers were carrying out polio vaccinations.

On Saturday, the Gaza health ministry said Israeli fire had hit the Sheikh Radwan clinic as parents brought their children in to be vaccinated. It said four children had been wounded in the explosion, which took place during an agreed humanitarian pause to allow the campaign to go ahead.

The military said it was aware of the reports but said an initial review showed its forces had not carried out any strikes when the incident took place.

"Contrary to the claims, an initial review determined that the IDF did not strike in the area at the specified time," it said in a statement.

The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the incident had taken place just after a WHO team was at the clinic and that it had endangered a vital health protection campaign.

"These vital humanitarian-area-specific pauses must be absolutely respected. Ceasefire!" he said in a statement on the social media platform X on Saturday.

The Israeli military accused the Palestinian group Hamas of deliberately operating out of civilian areas to use people as human shields, a charge that Hamas denies.

With access to the area cut off and communications patchy, outside verification of the assertions of either side has become increasingly difficult.