All coronavirus vaccines acquired by Algeria are considered safe and effective at the same time, including the AstraZeneca jab, a high-ranking Health Ministry official announced on Tuesday.
The director-general of the ministry’s health services department, Professor Lyes Rahal, affirmed in a radio interview that people should not be hesitant to take any available vaccine.
“Residents are reluctant to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, unlike the case with the Sputnik V," he said, assuring that people who received the AstraZeneca jab did not have serious side effects.
Rahal said there is still no scientific evidence that Algeria has reached herd immunity, warning that such statements will push Algerians to gradually abandon preventive measures.
He called on all citizens to continue to respect precautionary measures to combat the pandemic.
“Daily infections (between 100 and 160) do not cause a threat. However, if the numbers continue to rise, we should again sound the alarm,” the professor said.
Commenting on the slow pace of vaccination, Rahal said: “The process is moving gradually according to the plan set by the ministry, despite the brutal campaign launched on some social media concerning the success of the vaccination drive.”
He revealed that between the end of April and the beginning of May, all citizens registered on the digital platform will be vaccinated.
The professor said Algeria is expected to receive new batches of vaccines at the end of this month, but failed to determine their quantity and type.
Separately, Rahal clarified that the vaccines that have been approved by Algeria are effective against mutated strains.