DUBAI: Bahrain said on Friday it has granted emergency use authorization for the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the second country after Britain to approve it.

The kingdom had also approved Sinopharm’s COVID-19 vaccine in November for use by frontline workers.

“The approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine will add a further important layer to the Kingdom’s national COVID-19 response,” Dr. Mariam Al-Jalahma, CEO of Bahrain’s National Health Regulatory Authority said in a statement.

The vaccine will be made available to groups at greater risk of contracting complications from the coronavirus, including the elderly, people with chronic diseases, and other groups identified by the heath ministry as vulnerable.
Al-Jalahma said that intensive meetings were held with the company’s team in the US and its representatives to study the results and shed light on

any queries that arose.

Lindsey Dietschi, head of Pfizer in the Gulf, said the emergency use license of the vaccine in Bahrain represents another historic moment in the battle against the coronavirus.

“This license is the goal we are working to achieve since we announced for the first time that science will prevail, and we commend the national authority for the organization of professions and health services, its ability to conduct an accurate assessment and take action in time to help protect citizens and residents in the kingdom.”
(With Reuters)