Algeria Lags Behind Morocco in COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout, Expert Warns

– bySylvanus@Bladi · 1 min read
Algeria Lags Behind Morocco in COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout, Expert Warns

Kamel Bouzid, head of the oncology department at the Pierre and Marie Curie Center (CPMC) of the Mustapha University Hospital, regrets that Algeria did not follow the example of Morocco by placing its vaccine orders earlier. The country is sorely lacking in vaccines, even though the vaccination campaign has already started.

The specialist blames the Algerian authorities for not having ordered the vaccines against Covid-19 very early on. "We should have copied Morocco, which made its arrangements nine months ago by placing its orders in July 2020. Just a week ago, this country received 2.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. In Algeria, we arrived at the end of December saying we will vaccinate in January! There is a huge pressure on vaccine supplies and Algeria should have started as early as last March," he said in an interview with TSA.

"We have lost time and the WHO has not been reactive and now we risk paying a very high price for it," lamented Kamel Bouzid.