GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The first phase of the coronavirus vaccination campaign kicked off in the Gaza Strip on Feb. 22. Two shipments of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine arrived — the first donated by Russia to the Palestinian Authority (PA), and the second by the United Arab Emirates to the Gaza Strip directly.
The campaign began with the vaccination of 15 officials from the Ministry of Health and some medical personnel. The process was heavily covered by various media outlets, with the aim of encouraging the population to get vaccinated. Only about 10,000 persons registered to receive the vaccine in the first phase, out of 1.2 million citizens in the Gaza Strip who need it.