Morocco Sets February 19 for Second COVID-19 Vaccine Dose, Aims for Herd Immunity

Following the pace at which the vaccination operation is currently taking place and in accordance with the plan drawn up for its progress, the objective to be achieved over the next 3 to 5 months is to vaccinate around 30 million Moroccan citizens, or 80% of the population, and to achieve collective immunity, thus reducing the negative effects induced by the spread of the pandemic and ensuring a return to normal life, he explained to MAP on the sidelines of his visit to several vaccination centers in the Béni Mellal-Khenifra region on the occasion of the launch of the national vaccination campaign.

Morocco has been able since the launch of the national vaccination campaign to provide all the logistical, technical and organizational means and to acquire very large quantities of two types of anti-Covid vaccine, said Mr. Taleb, adding that the vaccination operation is taking place "under favorable conditions".

According to him, the vaccination operation has concerned, as of Friday, February 12, more than one million Moroccans. He also specified that this pace will increase gradually as the batches of vaccines expected increase, since the operation of administering the second dose of the vaccine will begin next Friday.