Saudi Arabia’s first vaccine recipients praise ‘excellent’ health centers

JEDDAH: Equipped with trained staff members and the capacity to handle thousands of coronavirus vaccine recipients at a time, Saudi Arabia’s vaccine centers continue to provide their services for all of the Kingdom’s residents with ease.
With the launch of the largest nationwide vaccination campaign on Dec. 18, the first center opened in Riyadh and the second at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport South Terminal opened its doors less than a week later. Arab News visited the Jeddah site to learn about the center’s work.
Dr. Mohammed Felemban, medical director at the health surveillance center at King Abdulaziz International Airport, said a large number of vaccination spots have been set up to reach as many people as possible.
“The first vaccination site was launched in Jeddah at King Abdulaziz International Airport South Terminal, with unlimited support from the leadership,” Felemban told Arab News. “Almost 83 vaccination points have been placed so far to ensure that all vaccines reach the largest possible groups.”
He added that the number of clinics will increase to over 450.
Upon arrival, recipients who have registered for the vaccine through the ministry’s Sehaty app will go through a number of steps.
They will pass through the entry point, where there will be a visual triage to check their temperatures and a registration site to confirm their information. Then there is a short waiting period before they are guided to their assigned clinic. After receiving the vaccine, recipients will head to a recovery zone to wait for 15 minutes before being discharged.
Trained medical staff dotting the center’s clinics are now handling those aged over 65, healthcare workers and individuals with chronic diseases — the groups targeted in the first phase of the vaccine rollout.