Bahrain said Friday it granted emergency use authorization for the coronavirus vaccine made by Pfizer and German partner BioNTech.
The news from the state-run Bahrain News Agency means the country is the second to approve the vaccine, trailing the United Kingdom, which approved the new vaccine on Wednesday.
The National Health Regulatory Authority of Bahrain, which confirmed its approval, said it completed a “thorough analysis and review” of all the data.
“The approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine will add a further important layer to the kingdom’s national COVID-19 response, which has strongly prioritized protecting the health of all citizens and residents during the pandemic,” Dr. Mariam Al Jalahman, CEO of the healthy authority, told the news agency.
The country did not say how many vaccines it has purchased nor when vaccinations would start.
The vaccine requires two doses that must be given three weeks apart. The vaccines also have to be stored and transported in minus-94 degrees Fahrenheit, which presents a challenge for the Mideast country that regularly hits temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer.
Bahrain earlier authorized a Chinese vaccine made by Sinopharm and has used it to vaccinate about 6,000 residents.
The Mideast nation of 1.6 million people reported more than 87,000 infections, about 85,000 recoveries and 341 deaths as of Friday. Worldwide, the coronavirus has infected more than 6.5 million and killed more than 1.5 million, a John Hopkins University tally shows.
• Shen Wu Tan can be reached at stan@washingtontimes.com.
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