It is effective in up to 78% of cases of Covid-19 for various degrees of infection, he said, and can be stored in an ordinary refrigerator at a temperature between 2 to 8 degrees Celsius.
Overcoming Suspicions
Lahlali Mouaffak, a doctor specializing in cardiopulmonary resuscitation at Jijel Hospital, 315 kilometers east of Algiers, said there is a great need to persuade Algerians to get the vaccine.
Speaking to Al-Fanar Media, he said: “There are rumors that are not scientifically proven, and there are calls for the government to impose the vaccine on citizens, in light of the terrible pressure that the medical staff is experiencing.”
Mouaffak advocates constraints to persuade people to get vaccinated, saying: “Algerians are now required to show the vaccination card, in a number of public places such as football stadiums and swimming pools.”
Reda Ben Sayeh, a worker at the Road Works Company in the state of Bejaia, in eastern Algeria, said a massive mobilization campaign is required in which doctors and scientists clarify the nature and effectiveness of the vaccine.
“Many Algerians are suspicious and lost” between claims about the danger of the vaccine and others who say it could end the crisis globally, he said. “Between this and that, the Ministry of Health must clarify everything.”
[Enjoying this article? Subscribe to our free newsletter.]
Rahima Serkaj, an employee in a local administration in the state of Bordj Bou Arreridj, in eastern Algeria, said: “The biggest challenge for the Ministry of Health and the government in general is to convince the citizen of the effectiveness and importance of the vaccine, which is a step I consider more important than producing the vaccine itself.”
Naima Serhan, a student at Abderrahmane Mira University, in Bejaia, said the vaccine, whether locally produced or imported, was a necessity to end the crisis. “I am vaccinated with the Chinese Sinovac, and I was ready to take the locally manufactured vaccine, because I trusted science above all.”
Related Articles
To read more about how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting education, research and culture in the Arab region, see a collection of articles from Al-Fanar Media.