Jordan calls for a more even distribution of the vaccine while Egypt struggles to vaccinate its poor.
By TARA KAVALER/THE MEDIA LINEA healthcare worker holds a syringe and vaccine vial against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Cairo, Egypt March 4, 2021.(photo credit: REUTERS/MOHAMED ABD EL GHANY)
Vaccine equity has had an impact on the Middle East and North Africa region in opposing ways.Human Rights Watch (HRW) on March 9 called out Egypt for placing additional obstacles in the path of obtaining a vaccine against the coronavirus for poorer individuals. The following day, Jordan called for more equitable vaccine distribution, against the backdrop of being one of the first countries in the world to vaccinate refugees.HRW demanded that Egypt make the COVID-19 vaccine available to all its citizens after the government hinted that Egyptians might have to pay for the inoculation, or go through a bureaucratic process to get approval for a free vaccine.The fee for the jab would be approximately $6 a dose, which is financially out of reach for much of the country’s population.“Charging impoverished Egyptians for a critical vaccine goes against the fundamental human right to health and reflects the government’s distorted priorities,” Amr Magdi, Middle East and North Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. “To effectively fight the pandemic, Egypt should expand vaccine access by making it affordable and accessible for all, including making it freely available where needed.”Over in Amman, Jordan's King Abdullah called for more equitable vaccine access across the world, bolstered by the initiative his country took in getting vaccines to Jordan’s substantial refugee population starting in January.“Once again Jordan has shown exemplary leadership and solidarity in hosting refugees. The country has included refugees in every aspect of the public health response to the pandemic, including the national vaccination campaign, proving how it should be done if we are to keep everyone safe,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said in a UNHCR statement at the time.In neighboring Israel, the Israel Defense Forces announced on Thursday that it became the first military in the world to fully vaccinate its soldiers.Additionally, after reopening bars and restaurants on Sunday, March 7, Israel gave its 5 millionth COVID-19 vaccination shot the next day. Meanwhile, on Monday Israel began inoculating the 120,000 Palestinians who work legally in Israel and in West Bank settlements.The Saudi Press Agency reported the same day that, over in Riyadh, the country’s minister of commerce approved a program allowing commercial establishments to reduce prices for shoppers who had received the vaccine against the coronavirus, in an effort to boost vaccination rates. The Saudi Gazette reported March 9 that over 1.5 million people have been vaccinated in the kingdom.
