Tunisia Health Ministry Says 3 Million People Fully Vaccinated

A Tunisian nurse prepares a dose of a Covid-19 vaccine at an inoculation center in Ariana governorate near the capital Tunis on August 8, 2021. (Fethi Belaid, AFP)
A Tunisian nurse prepares a dose of a Covid-19 vaccine at an inoculation center in Ariana governorate near the capital Tunis on August 8, 2021. (Fethi Belaid, AFP)
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Tunisia Health Ministry Says 3 Million People Fully Vaccinated

A Tunisian nurse prepares a dose of a Covid-19 vaccine at an inoculation center in Ariana governorate near the capital Tunis on August 8, 2021. (Fethi Belaid, AFP)
A Tunisian nurse prepares a dose of a Covid-19 vaccine at an inoculation center in Ariana governorate near the capital Tunis on August 8, 2021. (Fethi Belaid, AFP)

The Tunisian Health Ministry confirmed that it succeeded to fully vaccinate around 3 million people since it kicked off a national inoculation campaign on March 13, 2021.

The number represents half of the 6 million Tunisian residents that the Ministry planned to vaccinate by next October to guarantee herd immunity.

“The number of fully vaccinated people stands at 2,980,682, including 2,277,394 people who received two doses, 320,733 people who got one shot of the single dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine and 382,555 people who were infected and therefore needed only one jab,” the Health Ministry said last Sunday.

It said a total of 6,789,808 jabs have been administered so far, including 4,512,414 first shots and 2,277,394 boosters.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry called on all residents who did not yet receive the vaccine to visit the nearest inoculation center and take their dose.

This came after 66,756 people missed their vaccine appointment last Sunday.

The Ministry revealed that only 32,820 people received their shots out of 99,576 resident that received text messages to attend their jab appointments on September 12.

Around 6 million people are registered on Evax.tn platform up to September 11 to book COVID-19 vaccination appointments.

In the same context, a member of the scientific committee to confront the coronavirus in Tunisia, Al-Hashemi Al-Wazir, said that the committee plans to administer a third dose of the vaccine for the most vulnerable.

Meanwhile, the African nation registered 12 COVID-19 fatalities on September 11, taking the death count to 24,244, the Ministry said.

Also, 780 infections were reported from 7,190 tests (10.85 percent positivity rate), pushing the caseload to 685,799 while recoveries rose by 4,824, reaching 666,431.



Qatar Foreign Ministry: Hamas Political Office in Doha Has Not Been Permanently Closed

A file photo of two Palestinian fighters from the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, participating in a military parade near the border with Israel in central Gaza Strip, July 19, 2023 (Reuters).
A file photo of two Palestinian fighters from the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, participating in a military parade near the border with Israel in central Gaza Strip, July 19, 2023 (Reuters).
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Qatar Foreign Ministry: Hamas Political Office in Doha Has Not Been Permanently Closed

A file photo of two Palestinian fighters from the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, participating in a military parade near the border with Israel in central Gaza Strip, July 19, 2023 (Reuters).
A file photo of two Palestinian fighters from the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, participating in a military parade near the border with Israel in central Gaza Strip, July 19, 2023 (Reuters).

The political office of the Palestinian Hamas group in Doha has not been permanently closed, Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said on Tuesday.
Al-Ansari said leaders of the Hamas negotiating team were not in Doha, reported Reuters.
Qatar said last week it had told Hamas and Israel that it will suspend efforts to mediate a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal until both show seriousness about resuming talks. Doha also said media reports that it had told Hamas to leave the Gulf Arab country were not accurate.

Qatar, which is home to a major US military base, has hosted Hamas's political leadership since 2012 with Washington's blessing.

During the talks after Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel last year, both Qatari and US officials indicated that the militant group would remain in Doha as long as its presence offered a viable channel of communication.