Bahrain becomes second country to authorize Pfizer vaccine

Shortly after the UK announced to the world that it will begin vaccinating its population at the end of December, Bahrain has announced that it approves the emergency use of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine.

The island kingdom of Bahrain said it has become the second nation in the world to grant an emergency use authorisation. The country's state news agency made the announcement Friday night confirming approval by the Kingdom of Bahrain's National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA), "which has followed a thorough analysis and review of available data by the authorities".

Mariam Al Jalahma, Director General of the NHRA, said: "The approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine will add a further layer to the Kingdom's national response to COVID-19, which has placed a high priority on protecting the health of all citizens and residents during the pandemic".

Bahrain has not referred to the vaccination strategy or how many doses it plans to purchase. All that is known at this time is that vaccines will be available for the groups most exposed to the complications of the coronavirus, such as the elderly and patients with chronic diseases.

The immediate challenge for Bahrain would be the conditions in which the vaccine should be stored. The vaccine should be stored and shipped at ultra-cold temperatures of around 70 degrees Celsius. Bahrain is a Middle Eastern nation that regularly sees summer temperatures of around 40 C (104 Fahrenheit) with high humidity.

BioNTech, which owns the vaccine, said it has so far signed agreements to supply 570 million doses worldwide by 2021, with options to supply 600 million more. It expects to supply at least 1.3 billion by 2021.

The Kingdom of Bahrain had already granted emergency use authorisation for a Chinese vaccine manufactured by Sinopharm and has inoculated some 6,000 people with it. This vaccine is also in use in the United Arab Emirates.

With a population of 1.6 million, it has reported more than 87,000 cases and 341 deaths, according to the government. More than 85,000 people have recovered from COVID-19 disease, which is caused by the virus.

The Arab country has become the second country to authorise the Pfizer vaccine. The United Kingdom was the first country in the world to give this news and also confirmed that it has committed 40 million doses that will allow 20 million people to be vaccinated. Mass vaccination of the population will begin next week and a total of nine groups are scheduled to receive priority doses. The first will be elderly people living in homes and the staff who care for them.