Member of Parliament, Assem Araji, on Thursday expected in an interview with the National News Agency a delay in reaching herd immunity against Covid-19 in Lebanon, especially after the registration of a large number of infections within the past two days due to the citizens’ failure to adhere to preventive measures, as well as the state’s failure to aptly implement a gradual lifting of the lockdown plan that had been approved by the Coronavirus Committee. The lawmaker also blamed this eventuality on the amount of low number of vaccines reaching the country.
“The few batches of vaccines that have arrived in Lebanon do not meet the needs required to vaccinate the largest possible number of citizens,” he added.
Araji also pointed out that the countries that produced vaccines preferred to start vaccinating their own people and that there were about 120 countries that haven’t received the vaccine yet.
“We are trying the impossible in order to import the largest number of vaccines, even with the help of private companies, but unfortunately, we have not succeeded as expected because there is a scarcity in exporting vaccines from the countries producing them,” Araji explained.
The World Trade Organization has called on countries to pressure companies to increase their production of vaccines, and the UN Security Council has also issued a statement urging justice in distributing vaccines all over the world.
“If we can secure the required number of vaccines to vaccinate 85% of citizens, we will be able to achieve herd immunity by the end of this year,” he added.
The Member of Parliament went on to point out that there were companies that had applied to import vaccines and had received approval from the Ministry of Health, but the producing companies have not agreed to give them the requested vaccines yet.
He finally called on citizens to “adhere to preventive measures so that we can control the pandemic,” noting that “the health sector is fully exhausted.”
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