Morocco’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign will benefit at least 80% of Moroccans, Minister of Health Khalid Ait Taleb announced today.
“The goal of the campaign is to preserve public health and to lessen the social and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic through reducing the number of coronavirus-related deaths,” he said.
“The campaign will cover no less than 80% of Morocco’s residents with a safe and effective vaccine,” Ait Taleb continued.
The health minister made the announcement during the weekly plenary parliamentary session at the House of Representatives.
While he did not share technical details about the COVID-19 vaccine and its source, Ait Taleb assured citizens of its effectiveness and safety. He also provided clarifications about how the upcoming vaccination campaign will take place.
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The campaign will begin “in a few weeks,” Ait Taleb announced, specifying that all Moroccans aged 18 and over are eligible to receive injections. However, the initiative will first prioritize frontline workers, the elderly, and people with chronic conditions.
The health minister did not specify whether or not Moroccans will have to pay for the vaccine, but confirmed that it will require two injections.
The national vaccination campaign will take place through two methods. For the first method, regional health directorates are in the process of establishing 2,888 vaccination centers across Morocco.
Health authorities have already prepared the lists of medical staff to manage and supervise the centers and training sessions are ongoing.
“The final planning phase is almost done and we have already launched the process to purchase a sufficient amount of [vaccine] doses,” Ait Taleb announced.
Moroccans wishing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine are invited to visit the medical centers.
The second method concerns Moroccans unable to travel to vaccination centers. Medical teams will visit citizens at high risk of developing severe COVID-19 symptoms, as well as some facilities, such as factories, public administrations, and prisons.
The upcoming national vaccination campaign against COVID-19 will not greatly differ from other annual campaigns in Morocco, Ait Taleb assured, highlighting the extensive experience of Morocco’s health authorities.
